Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas: Overview and Things to Do

A new ship has taken the throne as the largest cruise ship in the world. Sailing since March 2022, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas features a new neighborhood suite, the Vue Bar, the new Mason Jar restaurant, and even more features that will impress any type of cruiser!

Claiming the largest ship in the world is nothing new for Royal Caribbean. This cruise line has been turning out mammoth ships for years now. However, even though building big ships is nothing new for Royal Caribbean, there’s a lot about Wonder of the Seas that’s absolutely brand-new. 

Need to know what to expect if you’re one of the lucky cruisers snagging a spot on one of this ship’s upcoming itineraries? Here are all the details you’ll need.

Wonder of the Seas Stats

Wonder of the Seas boasts some impressive stats, clocking in at…

• A gross tonnage of 236,857 GT
• 1,188 feet long
• 2,867 staterooms
• Double occupancy for 5,734 guests
• Maximum occupancy for 6,988 guests
• Crew occupancy of 2,300 members
• 18 total decks
• 16 guest decks
• 24 guest elevators

How exactly does that compare to some of the other largest ships in the world? 

Well, the second-largest ship in the world is Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, which measures in at 228,081 gross tons — nearly 8,000 less than Wonder of the Seas.

Additionally, Symphony of the Seas only has 2,759 staterooms, or 100 fewer than Wonder of the Seas. Wonder of the Seas is also longer than the largest military ship ever, the U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. 

Construction 

Wonder of the Seas’ debut has been a long time coming. Royal Caribbean Group first ordered the ship in 2016, with an anticipated early 2021 delivery. Construction was moving along as planned up until the industry-wide shut down, at which point delivery was delayed until 2022.

Bookings for the much-anticipated ship opened in early 2021, though (even as itineraries evolved to meet changing travel guidelines), and, in January 2022, Royal Caribbean accepted delivery of Wonder of the Seas. The ship’s maiden voyage kicked off in March 2022.

Read Also: Royal Caribbean Takes Delivery of the New World’s Largest Cruise Ship

Staterooms and Suites

So what can you expect with Wonder of the Seas’ 2,867 staterooms?  You have four primary stateroom options to choose from:

• Suites
• Balcony staterooms
• Ocean-view staterooms
• Interior staterooms

Whichever of these four categories that you choose, though, you can be assured of updated, modern, fresh interiors like you definitely won’t find on older cruise ships.

Think sleek furnishings that make great use of each space, for roomier accommodations even in interior staterooms, and muted color palettes that are a far cry from the bold, bright, somewhat-jarring decor of the older era of cruise ships.

Unlike previous interior staterooms, you can find interior staterooms aboard Wonder of the Seas that actually include sitting areas, which is a nice change. The ocean-view staterooms, of course, have that big, bed-side window, while the balcony staterooms feature well-furnished outdoor spaces and floor-to-ceiling windows. 

It’s the suites aboard Wonder of the Seas that really stand out, though. Elegantly decorated and incredibly spacious, each suite is designed with the full guest experience in mind, giving you a private resort-like feel that you’ll hardly want to leave.

You could enjoy your full cruise in some of these suites and never even feel like you’re missing a thing — especially when you upgrade to Royal Suite Class.

Royal Suite Class breaks down into three other classes: Star Class, Sky Class and Sea Class. Depending on which you upgrade to, you’ll receive special benefits and perks. These perks can include…

• Specialty restaurants included in your dining plan
• Access to the Coastal Kitchen restaurant
• Deluxe beverage packages
• Internet access
• Early seating at entertainment venues
• Suite guest-only sun deck access 
• Complimentary mini bar
• Laundry service
• Gratuities included
• Exclusive concierge service 
• Priority departure
• Priority dining reservations
• Suite lounge access
• Luxury bathroom amenities
• And more! 

Of course, every suite aboard this ship is magnificent, but there’s one that really stands out: the Ultimate Family Suite. This ship is the third Royal Caribbean vessel to include an Ultimate Family Suite and it truly is ultimate. The suite is outfitted with sleeping arrangements for 10 guests and comes with cool features like game areas, a hot tub and more.

What’s New on Wonder of the Seas?

So, have you sailed on another Oasis-class ship or even on an older Royal Caribbean ship and you want to know what’s new on Wonder of the Seas? Here are a few of the brand-new offerings that you can expect, namely:

• The new Suite Neighborhood
• The new Mason Jar specialty restaurant
• The new Vue bar
• The new Wonder Playscape children’s area

The Suite Neighborhood is basically an entire section of the ship that’s only dedicated to those lucky guests staying in a suite (see the Royal Suite Class perks listed above!).

Those in Royal Suite Class stay in this neighborhood and get access to a bevy of VIP areas, such as a suite guest-only sun deck with a plug pool and bar, as well as a private suite guest-only restaurant, Coastal Kitchen.

The new Mason Jar specialty restaurant is — as you may have been able to guess by the name — a southern-inspired restaurant that focuses on barbecue, Bayou and Low Country fare. Think fried chicken, gumbo and beignets. 

The new Vue pool bar is a cantilever, panoramic bar that sits above the main pool deck. During the day, you can sip your favorite drinks while enjoying ocean views. At night, you can enjoy the light installation over the bar that adds extra visual appeal.

Lastly, the new Wonder Playscape children’s area is an outdoor play space that’s great for the younger travelers in your crew, with tot-friendly climbing walls, games, puzzles, murals and more. Think of it as the coolest outdoor playground on water.

Complimentary Dining

Give a quick look to Wonder of the Seas’ dining options and you’ll immediately see how dining on this ship gives you so many more options than you might find on one of Royal Caribbean’s older ships. Just included within your normal cruise fare, you get access to…

• The Main Dining Room
• Windjammer Cafe
• The Solarium Bistro
• Coastal Kitchen (Access dependent upon stateroom type)
• Park Cafe
• Vitality Cafe
• Cafe Promenade
• Sorrento’s
• Boardwalk Dog House
• El Loco Fresh
• And select room service options, 24/7

For an elegant sit-down meal, the main dining room is your place to go. The Windjammer Cafe offers your typical cruise buffet experience. For lighter options throughout the day, such as salads, soups and sandwiches, you can choose between Park Cafe, Vitality Cafe, Cafe Promenade and the Solarium Bistro.

If you’re a suite guest, you’ll have access to the suite guest-only VIP Coastal Kitchen, with its California-meets-Mediterranean cuisine. For kid-friendly casual eats, there’s the Sorrento’s pizzeria, El Loco Fresh Mexican restaurant, and the Boardwalk Dog House for gourmet hot dogs.

Specialty Dining

Your options expand even further when you look at all of the restaurants that are open to dining cruisers for an extra fee. Specialty restaurants on Wonder of the Seas include…

• 150 Central Park
• The Chef’s Table
• Chops Grille
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
• Izumi
• Hooked Seafood
• Playmakers
• Wonderland
• Johnny Rockets
• Starbucks
• The Mason Jar

As mentioned already, The Mason Jar is the newest restaurant in the Royal Caribbean family, and a nice change from some of the staple eateries on the ship, such as Izumi, Giovanni’s and Chops Grille, which long-time cruisers already know for their respective Japanese, Italian and American steakhouse-style eats. The Chef’s Table is the five-course chef-led dining experience that’s limited to 18 guests at a time.

150 Central Park is an Oasis-class-only restaurant that features prix fixe tasting menus. Hooked Seafood is a New England-style seafood eatery, while Playmaker is the ship’s sports bar.

Wonderland channels the latest and greatest in food trends, like molecular gastronomy, while the on-board Starbucks and Johnny Rockets venues offer the same experiences you already know from these two brands.

Read Also: Wonder of the Seas vs. Titanic – A Giant Comparison

Bars and Lounges

And while, sure, you can enjoy a drink with your dinner at any of the above restaurants, if you want to visit a watering hole for a true bar experience, then you have plenty of options there, too. Wonder of the Seas boasts a large number of bars and lounges, including…

• Bionic Bar
• Boleros
• Cantina Fresca
• Cask & Clipper
• Rising Tide Bar
• Schooner Bar
• Solarium Bar
• The Attic
• The Lime & Coconut
• Trellis Bar
• Wipeout Bar
• The Vue Bar

If you’ve sailed with Royal Caribbean in the past, you’ll recognize a few of these bars from some of the older ships, but if you haven’t sailed on a newer vessel from the cruise line, you’ll want to be sure to check out The Lime and Coconut, the newer resort-style, pool-side bar space, as well as, of course, the new Vue Bar.

Entertainment

But you can’t just spend all of your time aboard this amazing ship just enjoying your suite and then eating and drinking your way through the dozens of restaurant and bar options. There are plenty of other ways to have a great time, too. You can…

• Visit one of the four swimming pools
• Take a dip in one of the 10 hot tubs
• Try your hand at surfing at the FlowRider surf simulator
• Climb high above the deck at one of the two rock-climbing walls
• Cool off at the ice skating rink
• Get in some adrenaline-pumping thrills at the zip line
• Challenge your fellow cruisers at the basketball court
• Sweat out your stress at the state-of-the-art fitness center
• Or kick back and relax at the full-service Vitality at Sea Spa.

Another major aspect of entertainment onboard the world’s largest cruise ship is the AquaTheater, located aft of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship in the Boardwalk neighborhood.

This stunning open-air venue features slackliners, divers, dancers, acrobats, and more in breathtaking performances and shows. The venue also features the deepest pool at sea.

Wonder of the Seas Itineraries

So, what are you waiting for? Wonder of the Seas packs so much fun into one enormous space. This brand-new, larger-than-ever-before cruise ship is the mega-ship that avid cruisers have been waiting for. See what all the fuss is about, when you book your Wonder of the Seas cruise.

Related: Wonder of the Seas Itineraries, What You Need to Know

Wonder of the Seas FAQ