Utopia of the Seas vs. Wonder of the Seas: How Royal Caribbean’s Newest Ship Compares

Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas is slightly larger than from sister Wonder of the Seas, but both Oasis Class ships offer short Bahamas cruises. 

Royal Caribbean is shifting more of the Oasis Class ships to sail short sailings and offer easy and attractive getaway sailings for new cruisers. 

The two newest members of the Oasis Class, Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, share more similarities than any other two ships in the fleet. 

However, Royal Caribbean is constantly seeking to improve, so each vessel has a few different innovations as well. Here's a look at what makes these two ships different.

Ship overview

When she first debuted in March of 2022, Wonder of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world. She weighs 235,600 gross tons and can carry 6,988 passengers at double occupancy. 

Utopia of the Seas, however, beat out Wonder when she launched in July of 2024, and she is now the third-largest cruise ship in the world (after Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas).

Utopia measures 236,860 gross registered tons, with a capacity of 5,668 passengers at double occupancy.

Royal Caribbean's newest ship also broke records as the first Oasis Class ship to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), making her more sustainable even at such a massive size.

Utopia currently sails 3 and 4-night cruises out of Port Canaveral, Florida, visiting the Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Wonder of the Seas shifted to also offer 3- and 4-night cruises, but homeports in Miami, Florida. 

Here's a look at the two ship's statistics, compared:

*at double occupancy

Neighborhoods

Oasis Class ships were one of the first types of mega cruise ships to introduce the idea of floating cities.

One innovative way the cruise line makes guests feel like the ship is an entire city to be explored is by dividing the vessel into neighborhoods.

This unique design provides guests with a variety of atmospheres and themes within specific spaces.

Both Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas feature eight distinct neighborhoods:

• The Boardwalk, a nostalgic, family-fun area featuring a carousel, Playmakers, and the AquaTheater.
• Pool & Sports Zone, which features a Caribbean-style pool deck and thrilling water slides.
• Central Park, a lush, open-air garden with thousands of live plants.
• The Royal Promenade, the main thoroughfare, complete with shops and entertainment venues.
• Entertainment Place, the center of entertainment, featuring the comedy club, casino, Royal Theatre, and Studio B.
• Youth Zone, home to Adventure Ocean programming, an arcade, and a teen club.
• Vitality Spa & Fitness, Royal Caribbean's spa and fitness center.
• Suite Neighborhood, which was introduced for the first time on Wonder of the Seas.

Dining

Both vessels offer guests a wide array of dining options that cater to all tastes, from elegant steak dinners to sports bars to specialty sushi.

Both ships offer room service (free continental breakfast, with other menu items at an extra cost).

However, Wonder and Utopia do have a few notable differences in the restaurants offered.

Restaurants on Utopia of the Seas have some upgrades to venue locations, as well as venues not available anywhere else in the fleet.

While both ships have Giovanni's Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar, the venue on Utopia of the Seas has a brand-new outdoor Gio terrace overlooking the Boardwalk.

Utopia also features Izumi in the Park, which first debuted on Icon of the Seas. 

Not only are Izumi Hibachi and Sushi and Izumi in the Park available inside Utopia's Central Park, but the venue also features an exclusive dining experience only offered on Utopia: Izumi omakase.

Utopia of the Seas also introduced the Spare Tire, a complimentary poolside food truck, and the Royal Railway: Utopia Station.

The Royal Railway is a dining experience only found on Utopia of the Seas, combining high-tech with an immersive setting for a dinner experience unlike any other.

Here's a look at what venues are on each ship: 

*suite guests only

Staterooms

Overall, Wonder and Utopia of the Seas have similar cabins, with a wide variety of upgraded, elegant staterooms.

Wonder of the Seas has 2,867 cabins, while Utopia offers just a little fewer, at 2,830 staterooms.

Both Wonder and Utopia feature neighborhood-view balcony cabins, which overlook either Central Park, the Royal Promenade, or the Boardwalk. 

Both ships also have virtual balcony cabins, which include a floor-to-ceiling screen that projects a live view from outside the ship.

Utopia of the Seas, however, introduced three new cabin categories.

The interior cabins onboard are square rather than rectangular, allowing for more unbroken floor space.

Utopia also debuted with new Sky Junior Suites, which are similar to standard Junior Suites but include upgraded Sky Tier benefits.

The Solarium Suites are exclusive to Utopia of the Seas: two staterooms located above the bridge wings, offering guests sweeping panoramic views next to the Solarium pool area.

Entertainment and activities

Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class is great for guests who want more options than they can experience in one day. Both Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas feature marvelous, varied entertainment. 

Activities such as mini golf, water slides, dry slides, casino gambling, surfing, laser tag, and rock climbing abound on both vessels.

Both ships have Royal Caribbean comedians, live performances, ice skating shows, and AquaTheater shows. Neither ship, however, has a Broadway musical onboard.

Many bars and lounges feature live music each night. The two ships, however, do vary in entertainment venues. 

Read more: The best bar scene is only on two of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships

Utopia of the Seas, launching with weekend cruises, offers a more action-packed focus in fewer days. 

Marketed as "The World's Biggest Weekend," Utopia features nonstop parties with a unique twist, such as a frat party, a silent toga party, and the SENSES sunset party. 

Because of this, the ship might appeal more to adults and teens.

Read more: I Tried Doing Every Activity on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas. It was busy, but I'd absolutely do it again.