‘My week on a mega ship’
Victoria White sets sail on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas
Ihave a confession to make – I’m one of those people referred to as ‘a bundle of energy’ or as having ‘ants in their pants’, which means I’m not terribly good at relaxing. The more there is to do on holiday, the better – enter Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of The Seas…
Billed as the world’s biggest cruise ship (Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas will take the crown when it launches in January 2024), it’s the perfect place for an easily bored holidaymaker like me. At 362m long and 65m wide, it has 18 decks in total plus an ice rink, four pools, a basketball court, four theatres, mini golf course, laser tag and a surf simulator. Surely that’s more than enough to keep me entertained?
The sheer size and scale of the ship hits you right away, with its Medusa-like, twisting tubular slide on the top deck and the Royal Promenade, which feels like an upmarket American shopping mall, inside.
Each morning I headed to the wellequipped gym before breakfast at the Solarium Bistro buffet in the adults-only section of the ship. Then, if I wasn’t exploring an incredible destination on my seven-night Mediterranean itinerary (next year, Wonder sails the Caribbean), I was relaxing by one of the pools.
There are 11 different bars to choose from – try cocktails from the American Deep South in The Mason Jar or a dirty martini in my favourite, Giovanni’s Wine Bar in the Central Park neighbourhood.
As for dinner – well, on the world’s largest cruise ship there’s an incredible array of choice, with 10 included restaurants and 11 speciality dining options. But it’s after dinner that the size of this ship really comes into its own. There are some incredible productions on board, including intense, a jaw-dropping diving and high-wire act in the Aquatheater.
So, did I get bored? Not in the slightest. In fact, the worst thing about my week on Wonder of the Seas is that I didn’t get to experience everything – which means I might just have to sail on her again.