The world’s largest cruise ship is coming to Fort Lauderdale — but not for long
Cruising is back, and Royal Caribbean International is debuting “the world’s largest cruise ship,” Wonder of the Seas, at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale next spring.
But cruise enthusiasts will have to hurry if they want to be among the first to sample the new Oasisclass ship’s state-of-the-art attractions. The ship will sail just seven weeklong voyages to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Everglades next spring before steaming off to the Mediterranean Sea for the summer.
And cruise line officials aren’t saying whether Wonder will return to the port after sailing its European summer schedule.
Conceived before the COVID19 pandemic brought the cruise industry to a 15-month halt in the United States, the new ship is jam-packed with the sort of overthe-top features that reinforce attitudes of consumers who vow never to step foot on a cruise ship and those who can’t get enough of cruising.
Royal Caribbean’s claim that Wonder is the world’s largest ship is based on its gross tonnage, which is slightly more than the company’s Symphony of the Seas, another Oasis-class vessel that debuted in 2018 as the world’s largest cruise ship.
The ship is 1,188 feet long, nearly the length of four football fields, by 210 feet wide, or roughly two-thirds of a football field. It can accommodate 6,988 guests in 2,867 staterooms. By contrast, Carnival’s familiar ship, Sensation, which was built in 1993, is 855 feet long (less than three football fields) and can carry up to 2,052 passengers in 1,036 staterooms.
Wonder has 18 decks while Sensation has 10.
But really, there’s no comparison between the offerings on a brand new vs. 37-year-old ship.
Wonder is built to accommodate eight distinct “neighborhoods,” including a plant-filled oasis called “Central Park,” and “Suite Class Neighborhood,” featuring a private bar, restaurant, pool and sundeck available to guests willing to pay for one of the ship’s luxury-level “Royal Suites.”
The “Boardwalk” neighborhood is inspired by New York’s Coney Island.
There’s gobs of high-tech goodies, such as a touch-activated kids’ mural, the largest poolside movie screen in the Royal Caribbean fleet, a surf simulator called the FlowRider, a 10-deck zip line, and The Ultimate Abyss, billed as the tallest water slide at sea.
And, of course, the ship pulls out all the stops when it comes to
dining and cocktails.
Twelve bars are spread across the vessel. The Caribbean-themed Lime & Coconut offers two poolside bars, while the cantilevered bar The Vue provides panoramic ocean views high above the pool deck.
When hunger strikes, guests can choose from nine restaurants that require no additional charge and 12 specialty restaurants not included with the price of the cruise.
At Port Everglades, Wonder of the Seas will sail out of Cruise Terminal 18, which was built to accommodate Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class of ships, said Ellen Kennedy, the port’s acting director of business development.
“We are ready at Port Everglades and looking forward to the Wonder’s arrival this spring,” Kennedy said in an email.
Seven-day cruises from the port will alternate between Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean itineraries. All will feature a stop at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Bookings for the upcoming Wonder voyages are available through the cruise line’s website, royalcaribbean.com.
Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.