Inside Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship Wonder of the Seas

In:
02 Mar 2022

Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas is just days away from beginning her first sailing and we have our first look at some areas around the ship.

Wonder of the Seas night lit up

Wonder of the Seas is almost ready to begin regular service from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Wonder of the Seas is 236,857 gross tons and has 18 decks in total that can accommodate 5,734 guests at double occupancy.

Sneak peek around Wonder

The first sailing of Wonder of the Seas begins on Friday, but the excitement has already started with new photos from onboard.

Royal Caribbean released new photos from around Wonder of the Seas to showcase a few areas. Some of these photos were also shared by Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed.

First up is a look at the new, cantilevered Vue Bar.

Located in the Solarium, The Vue offers poolside drinks with panoramic ocean views.

The Suite Sun Deck is part of the eighth neighborhood, which is a private area reserved just for suite guests.

The private neighborhood includes a plunge pool and bar in the Suite Sun Deck and Coastal Kitchen exclusive restaurant.

Something else you'll only find in the Suite Neighborhood is a plunge pool.

The pool deck on Wonder of the Seas has been redesigned as well with a resort-style feel to it.

Guests will not only find a number of pools to swim in and lounge chairs to relax in, but also the Lime & Coconut bar, waterslides, and a Splashaway Bay aqua park for kids.

The pool deck on Wonder of the Seas will also feature the largest poolside movie screen on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Wonder of the Seas also has a new specialty restaurant that serves up American southern comfort food.

The Mason Jar offers staples and classics with a twist for brunch, dinner and the late night, including savory johnnycakes, crab beignets, 19 American whiskeys, spike floats and shakes, and other southern libations.

Wonder of the Seas will also be home to the largest Ultimate Family Suite yet for a family of 10. 

You'll find in this lavish suite an in-suite slide, cinema, and karaoke area, as well as a private balcony and whirlpool.

Read moreWhat is the most expensive suite on Royal Caribbean?

Something else brand new to any Royal Caribbean ship is the all-new Wonder Playscape, an underwater-themed, outdoor play area for families with kids.

This area includes multilevel slides, climbing walls, imaginative puzzles, an interactive mural that comes to life by touch and light shows.

Teens on board Wonder of the Seas have their own indoor and outdoor spaces, Social100 and The Patio.

Indoors, teens have the latest in music, games and movies at their fingertips; and on the outdoor patio, highlights include a private whirlpool, a menu of eight zero-proof cocktails and shakes, lawn games, as well as seating and nooks to hang out under the sun or stars.

The Ultimate Abyss will be onboard Wonder of the Seas, which is the tallest slide at sea.

Inaugural Wonder of the Seas season

Aft Wonder of the Seas

The inaugural Wonder of the Seas sailing will be March 4, 2022.

In May 2022, Wonder of the Seas will head to Europe, where she will offer 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona and Rome. Wonder of the Seas will visit Palma de Mallorca, Spain and Capri, Italy and replace Allure of the Seas in the region.

After her summer season, Wonder returns to Florida to offer year-round sailings in November 2022, when she sails from Port Canaveral. Destinations range from Perfect Day at CocoCay and Philipsburg, St. Maarten, to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Photo tour of new Junior Suite on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas

In:
10 Jul 2021

Junior Suites are a popular room category for the blend of extra space and not over-the-top pricing it affords guests, and on Freedom of the Seas, they added a few new rooms during her refurbishment.

I am a big fan of any new stateroom added during a refurbishment, because these new staterooms are new construction, and they generally get more storage space and a fresher look than rooms that have been part of the ship since the vessel launched.

During Royal Caribbean's recent upgrades as part of the Royal Amplification, new staterooms have been added to ships in places that did not have cabins.  Sure, it adds a little more revenue for the cruise line, but it also offers new cabin choices for guests.

On my Freedom of the Seas cruise in 2021, I booked one of the new staterooms on deck 11, to the left of the Vitality Spa in the forward area of the ship. The nice thing about this location is it is directly adjacent to the Solarium, which makes it very convenient to get to your room from the pool deck.

I stayed in stateroom 1152, which is a Category J3 Junior Suite which can accommodate up to 4 guests.

Despite the name "suite" in the room category, a Junior Suite is more like an extra large balcony than a true suite, but it does offer a lot more living space than you will get in a standard balcony room.

The stateroom measures 299 square feet of living space.

Walking into the room, you can quickly get a sense of the space and notice the fresh look the room has since it is new construction.

The first thing I noticed is just how much storage space there is in this cabin.

Like all Junior Suite rooms, there is a large closet where you can store clothes, hang up garments, and probably stash anything bulky.  

In addition to the closet, there is another full-size closet in the middle of the room, with drawers, dressers, and enough storage space for probably two weeks onboard.

I've noticed with Royal Caribbean's newer cruise ships much more storage space, and that trend has carried forward with its new construction cabins as well.

Another welcome trend is many more outlets, including USB outlets.  The desk area has both.

The bed is a Royal King, which could be converted into two twin beds if need be, along with a large sofa. 

According to Royal Caribbean the sofa can convert into a double bed, although I did not try it out.

Pro tip, there is a USB charger on the side of the phone next to the bed.

The bathroom looks similar to a balcony bathroom, although it has a full tub instead of a stand up shower.

Being a Junior Suite, your balcony is also extra large and it has a nice enclosed space to enjoy.  I prefer this set up because it means there is shade on the balcony during certain times of the day.

The balcony is indeed quite large, with enough space for two lounge chairs, a table, and two chairs. It measures 65 square feet.

You might notice the window washing equipment that was blocking part of the window.  This is a trade off of these new rooms being in a new location.  The washer unit is not always there, but it seemed to be stationed there when not in use.

Personally, I did not mind it since the balcony is wide enough to have most of it unobstructed, although I do not spend that much time on my balcony (especially on a short 3-night sailing).

Category 6V Interior Stateroom on Mariner of the Seas Photo Tour

In:
08 Feb 2020

There are often photo tours of various stateroom categories on this blog, and today we are looking one of the smallest rooms available on Mariner of the Seas. 

While there are many interior staterooms on Mariner of the Seas, this room stands out because it was one of the rooms added during the 2018 refurbishment, and it features an updated look compared to other interior rooms on the ship.

The photos of this room are from cabin 6137 on deck 6.

The room features 167 square feet of living space, for up to two guests. There is a sofa to sit on the during the day.

There are two twin beds that convert to a Royal King bed.

The vanity area has plenty of drawers and storage space. The drawers have a soft close feature that prevents them from slamming shut.

The private bathroom has additional storage space on the left, instead of behind a mirror.

Photo tour of 2 Bedroom Grand Suite on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas

In:
11 Jan 2020

A family looking for a combination of space and amenities are to enjoy the Two Bedroom Grand Suite on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas.

I recently had the opportunity to stay in this rather large room. Photos of this cabin are from stateroom 8714.

This Grand Suite features two bedrooms, each with two twin beds that convert to a Royal King (one room with third and fourth Pullman beds). There is a private balcony, two bathrooms, and a living area.

It is essentially an inside room, along with a balcony room that as a common living room to share.

The master bedroom features a large porhole window that looks into the balcony.

The master bathroom features a full bathtub. The second bedroom's bathroom is a standard standup shower.

The two bedroom grand suite offers 587 square feet of living space. A coffee maker and mini-fridge is found in the living room.  There are mini-fridges in both bedrooms as well.

The balcony features 270 square feet of space.

Looking down, you have a view of the lower part of the aft of Freedom of the Seas.

Balcony cabins offer some great views of the sunrise or sunset.

Category 2C Ocean View Stateroom with Large Balcony on Oasis of the Seas Photo Tour

In:
07 Dec 2019

We have a look inside one of the most popular stateroom categories available on Oasis of the Seas, the Category 2C - Ocean View Stateroom with Large Balcony. Following the 2019 Amplification, this room received some minor updates as well.

The photos of this room are from cabin 10202 on deck 10. 

Access to all staterooms on Oasis of the Seas are controlled via RFID. This means doors can be opened via a SeaPass card, WOWband or Royal Caribbean app.

Category 2C staterooms have two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, a sitting area with sofa, a full bathroom and private balcony.

This cabin offers 182 square feet of living space, along with a sofa to sit on during the day.

As the category name implies, this room has a larger than normal private balcony, which measures 80 square feet.

Oasis of the Seas Category 6N Ocean View Stateroom Photo Tour

In:
22 Nov 2019

One of the new staterooms added to Oasis of the Seas during her 2019 amplification was the category 6N Ocean View room on deck 14. We had the chance to take a look into the room to see what these rooms look like.

Located on Deck 14 forward, these rooms can accommodate up to 5 guests and feature 179 square feet of space.

The defining quality of this room is the large windows that provide an unobstructed view of the front of the ship, with sweeping views through the day or night.

Being a new room, these rooms feature an updated bathroom design.

Also unique to these rooms are the built-in USB plugs.

Category 2B Spacious Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony on Navigator of the Seas Photo Tour

In:
02 Mar 2019

Royal Caribbean updated its staterooms on Navigator of the Seas as part of the ship's Royal Amplification revitalization, and we have a look at the Category 2B - Spacious Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony.

Category 2B staterooms have two twin beds that convert to a Royal King. In addition, there is a sitting area, private balcony, and a private bathroom.

The spacious ocean view stateroom offers 199 square feet of living space, along with a sofa to sit on during the day.

A private balcony comes with this room, and the balcony measures 65 square feet.

Category 2J Central Park View Balcony Stateroom on Symphony of the Seas Photo Tour

In:
05 Jan 2019

Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas has a lot to offer, including a number of staterooms.  Today, we will look at the category 2J Central Park View Balcony Stateroom, which will take you through the cabin to provide an idea of what to expect if you book this category stateroom.

Central Park Balcony staterooms have two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, a Central Park view balcony, a sitting area, and a private bathroom. These rooms are designed to accommodate up to two guests.

A Central Park balcony offers 187 square feet of living space. The room also has a rather large sofa to sit on during the day.

Being a Central Park Balcony stateroom, you have a private balcony that offers views of the Central Park neighborhood on Symphony of the Seas.

Photo tour of Grand Suite on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas

In:
08 Dec 2018

The Grand Suite (Category GS) on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas is a popular choice for guests who want to indulge in a suite experience. It offers a lot of living space, and the Sky Class benefits of the Royal Suite Class.

This photo tour is from stateroom 12254 on Symphony of the Seas during a November 2018 sailing.

The Grand Suite measures 371 square feet and has a balcony that is 105 square feet.

Grand Suite staterooms on Symphony of the Seas have a bedroom area with two twin beds that convert to a Royal King.

The full bathroom has a tub and two sinks. There is a living room with a sofa that converts to double bed.

The private balcony has a seating area and private dining.

Photo tour of Owner's Suite on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas

In:
01 Dec 2018

The Owner's Suite on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is a popular choice for guests who want to indulge in a suite experience. It offers a lot of living space, and the Sky Class benefits of the Royal Suite Class.

This photo tour comes to us from Royal Caribbean Blog readers Elizabeth & Brian Robinson, who recently sailed on Harmony of the Seas.

These photos are from stateroom 11644. The Owner's Suite offers 556 square feet of living space, along with a balcony that comes in at 243 square feet.

Owner's Suite staterooms on Harmony of the Seas include Two twin beds that convert to a Royal King a private balcony living area with table and sofabed private bathroom with tub and two sinks marble entry large closets an interactive flat-screen TV mini-safe radio telephone and a hairdryer. 

Being a suite, this type of stateroom qualifies for the Royal Suite Class Sky Class amenities, which includes: Concierge Services (Priority reservations priority theater seats access to Suite Sun Deck access to Exclusive Suite Beach on private islands priority boarding and departure and more); luxury pillowtop mattress luxury Hermes Ferragamo or L''Occitane bath amenities all-day access to Coastal Kitchen special in-suite dining Suite Lounge specialty bottled water complimentary: VOOM internet Spa Thermal Room access (1-day pass) exclusive access to Signature Activities in-suite welcome amenity and more.

All photos by Brian Robinson

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