Step Aboard the World's Largest Cruise Ship, Which Is So Big it Has 8 'Neighborhoods' Spread Across 18 Decks "I felt as if I were in a small town in the middle of the ocean."
By Joey Hadden
Key Takeaways
- I sailed on the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas.
- It can hold up to 7,000 guests and has eight "neighborhoods" full of activities and amenities.
- The ship was even bigger than I imagined. Here's a tour of the ship's 18 decks and all its venues.
This story originally appeared on Business Insider.
In April 2022, I took my first cruise on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas — the largest cruise ship in the world. I felt as if I were in a small town in the middle of the ocean.
The author onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Royal Caribbean reports that Wonder of the Seas, sailing since March 2022, is nearly 1,200 feet long and 210 feet wide with 18 decks. It can hold about 7,000 guests.
Wonder of the Seas in Costa Playa, Mexico. Joey Hadden/Insider
For $2,000, I spent seven nights in an ocean-view stateroom on deck eight. The cruise was on sale, as it was originally priced for $3,000.
The author in her stateroom. Joey Hadden/Insider
During my voyage, the ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; as well as Royal Caribbean's own private island in the Bahamas.
Wonder of the Seas docked in Roatán, Honduras. Joey Hadden/Insider
But a lot of the fun took place on the enormous ship with eight communal areas that Royal Caribbean calls "neighborhoods." Each neighborhood had its own activities.
The main pool deck on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
To get up and down the ship's many decks, there are 24 elevators taking guests to 16 of the 18 levels. The top two decks are accessible only for suite guests.
A view of the elevators looking down from the 16th floor. Joey Hadden/Insider
In my experience, the elevators were packed during busy parts of the day, so I found it faster to take the stairs on either side of the elevators.
Staircases on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Decks seven, 10, and 11 hold only staterooms, but most decks have a combination of staterooms, restaurants, venues, and activities.
A hallway of staterooms on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Decks two and three have boarding areas to enter and exit the ship. Deck three is the lowest deck with staterooms.
Decks two, left, and three onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
The main dining room spans levels three, four, and five.
The main dining room onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Deck four is home to Entertainment Place, a neighborhood with fun venues surrounded by framed art on display.
The entrance to Studio B on deck four. Joey Hadden/Insider
One of the venues, Studio B, is used for shows and activities that take up a large space, like ice skating and laser tag.
An ice-skating show inside Studio B. Joey Hadden/Insider
Down the hall from Studio B is the casino, where guests can gamble on a floor full of game tables and slot machines.
The casino onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Entertainment Place also has a sushi restaurant, Izumi. At this point, you may be wondering whether food and entertainment were included — while most shows were free, many restaurants like Izumi cost extra.
Izumi onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
The Attic is another venue on deck four that has a bar and hosts comedy shows.
The Attic on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Royal Theater also hosts shows on decks four and five.
The entrance to the Royal Theater. Joey Hadden/Insider
On deck five, there's a neighborhood called Royal Promenade lined with restaurants, bars, and stores.
A view of Royal Promenade onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
One of the bars in this area is Bionic Bar, where robots make drinks.
The Bionic Bar onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
There are two more bars in Royal Promenade — Cask and Clipper, and Boleros — as well as a karaoke venue.
Cask and Clipper, top left; Spotlight Karaoke, top right; and Boleros. Joey Hadden/Insider
The Royal Promenade neighborhood also has two coffee shops — Starbucks and Cafe Promenade.
Starbucks and Cafe Promenade. Joey Hadden/Insider
Guests can grab pizza, which is included in the cruise fare, from Sorrento's in Royal Promenade.
Sorrento's on the Royal Promenade. Joey Hadden/Insider
Upstairs on deck six is Schooner Bar and a studio for taking portraits.
Decks five and six onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Next to Schooner Bar is an entrance to the Boardwalk, which is an outdoor neighborhood on deck six.
The entrance to the Boardwalk. Joey Hadden/Insider
The Boardwalk deck caters to families with kids with a carousel ...
The carousel on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
... and a candy store.
The candy store on deck six. Joey Hadden/Insider
There are also two rock-climbing walls.
One of the rock-climbing walls onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
There are two restaurants on the Boardwalk: a hot-dog stand, which is included for guests, and a Johnny Rockets, which has burgers and shakes, for an added fee.
Restaurants on the Boardwalk. Joey Hadden/Insider
Across from the Boardwalk restaurants is Playmakers, a sports bar.
Playmakers on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
The Boardwalk ends with the Aquatheater, where Royal Caribbean puts on outdoor movies and a water show featuring dancers, divers, and acrobats.
The Aquatheater onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Like all of the outdoor decks, the Boardwalk is illuminated at night.
The Boardwalk at night. Joey Hadden/Insider
A waterslide from deck 16 ends right in front of the Aquatheater on deck six.
A waterslide exit on deck six. Joey Hadden/Insider
On the other side of deck six is the spa and fitness-center neighborhood, Vitality at Sea.
Vitality at Sea onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Just past the Vitality at Sea entrance is a cafe before the spa area and gym.
Vitality Cafe onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
The gym felt huge. It was full of the cardio and strength machines I've seen in most fitness centers.
People work out on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
From the fitness center, there's access to an indoor track.
A running track, accessible from the fitness center. Joey Hadden/Insider
Up on deck eight, there's another outdoor neighborhood, Central Park.
The entrance to Central Park. Joey Hadden/Insider
This deck is home to 20,000 plants, according to Royal Caribbean, and I thought it was the most relaxing area on the ship.
Central Park onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
There are many spaces to chill in this neighborhood, including benches and outdoor couches.
Lounging areas onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
At night, the cozy Central Park area also serves as a music venue.
Musicians performing in Central Park. Joey Hadden/Insider
Central Park is home to three upscale restaurants — Chops Grille, 150 Central Park, and Giovanni's Italian. There's also Park Cafe, a casual eatery that is free for guests.
Upscale restaurants in Central Park. Joey Hadden/Insider
The Central Park deck has two bars — Trelli's and Rising Tide, a moving bar that goes up and down floors five through eight.
Bars in Central Park. Joey Hadden/Insider
On the other end of deck eight, there's the Music Hall, a venue that spans up to deck nine.
The Music Hall onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
And on deck 12, there is a restaurant called Wonderland that's inspired by "Alice in Wonderland."
The dining room of the Wonderland restaurant. Joey Hadden/Insider
Deck 14 is home to the Youth Zone neighborhood, which has a kids' area with an escape room.
The Youth Zone onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Decks 15 and 16 are known as the Pool and Sports Zone neighborhood. These decks are mostly outside.
A wide view of half of the pool deck. Joey Hadden/Insider
Deck 15 is the pool deck. There are three large pools that made me feel as if I were at the beach with water coming up and around the lounging chairs.
One of the pools on deck 15. Joey Hadden/Insider
The deck also has a handful of whirlpools and small plunge pools for relaxing.
A plunge pool overlooking a larger pool. Joey Hadden/Insider
Deck 15 also has a water playground called Splashaway Bay.
Splashaway Bay onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Surrounding each pool are rows of lounge chairs, both in and out of the shade.
Lounging chairs on deck 15. Joey Hadden/Insider
In the middle of the pool deck, Sprinkles has all-you-can-eat soft-serve ice cream with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and mixed flavors. It's included for guests.
Sprinkles onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Deck 15 also has the Solarium, an adults-only indoor lounge with pools, a bar, a complimentary bistro, and stunning views.
The Solarium onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Outside the Solarium, there's a bar called Vue with more ocean views.
The Vue onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Windjammer, a complimentary buffet that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is on deck 15, too.
Windjammer onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Upstairs, deck 16 has a seafood restaurant called Hooked, and another included buffet called El Loco Fresh.
El Loco Fresh on deck 16. Joey Hadden/Insider
The Lime & the Coconut is another bar that spans decks 15 and 16.
The Lime & the Coconut onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Up here, there are more lounging areas and a big screen for outdoor movies.
Deck 16 of Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
There are also covered casitas for lounging that guests may reserve.
Casitas onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Deck 16 is where guests play games, including the arcade and sporting areas.
The arcade on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
There are places to play table tennis on this level, too.
Table-tennis courts onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
There's even a basketball court.
A basketball court onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Plus, a whole mini-golf setup.
A mini-golf course onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
Guests can also practice riding waves on the deck 16 surfing simulator, Flow Rider.
Flow Rider onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
At the back of deck 16 is Wipeout Bar, and the entrance to the Ultimate Abyss, which is the "largest slide at sea," according to Royal Caribbean that slides down 10 stories.
The back of deck 16. Joey Hadden/Insider
As previously mentioned, decks 17 and 18 are accessible only for guests with suites. This is where the eighth neighborhood, Suite Class Neighborhood, is. Fancy.
The top decks of Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider
The largest cruise ship in the world felt bigger than I imagined, especially since I'd never been on a cruise before. As we left the port to start our journey, I marveled at how the ships passing by looked like toy boats in comparison.
A view of passing ships at the port in Fort Lauderdale. Joey Hadden/Insider
And in 2024, Royal Caribbean will debut the new largest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas, which is 6% larger than Wonder of the Seas and will carry 7% more passengers, according to the Points Guy. I can't wait to see how it compares to my cruise onboard Wonder of the Seas.
The top decks onboard Icon of the Seas (L) and a family suite with a balcony (R).
