Before you sail on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, you might have the same questions as our readers do about this cruise ship.
Wonder of the Seas entered service in March 2022, and soon after, she returned to Port Canaveral to begin offering year-round cruises from her homeport. Her return to Florida has a lot of cruisers excited to try out one of the world's largest ships for the first time.
Royal Caribbean invited me to sail on Wonder of the Seas for a quick two-night sailing to commemorate the ship's official christening ceremony, and I wanted to answer as many questions as I could from our readers.
I asked readers on the Royal Caribbean Blog Facebook page what questions they had about Wonder of the Seas so that I could try to answer them all.
Here are all the Wonder of the Seas questions they have and answers to them all!
Can you book shows before the cruise begins?
Yes. Up until recently, the ability to book shows was not an option pre-cruise. However, Royal Caribbean seems to have changed that policy for sailings beginning in December.
Entertainment is available to reserve for Quantum and Oasis class ships 30 days before the sailing via the Royal Caribbean website.
What are your top 3 must-do’s and what to skip on Wonder of the Seas?
I spent a lot of my first day on Wonder of the Seas thinking of a good answer to this question.
My three must-dos are:
1. Eat brunch and see a show in Mason Jar
I didn't know I needed Southern American food in my life until I ate at The Mason Jar.
Chicken 'n waffles, red velvet pancakes, stuffed French toast and plenty more "don't tell mom what I just ate" dishes make a meal here worth the price of admission.
Equally fun is the Country Trio band that performs here. You don't have to be a mega Country music fan to enjoy the live entertainment.
2. Effectors 2
Truthfully, all the shows on an Oasis Class ship are worth seeing, but Wonder of the Seas has a new show that is a follow-up to the original Effectors show that I first saw on Odyssey of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean's original productions have continuously outperformed the previous show with each new ship, so do yourself a favor and see the shows.
3. Get a drink at the Vue Bar
I love what Royal Caribbean has done with the pool deck on Wonder of the Seas, especially the addition of the Vue Bar.
The Vue extends over the side of the ship to offer fantastic ocean views.
The panoramic views are worth the visit.
Why is there no Broadway show on Wonder of the Seas?
I think there are two reasons why there's no Broadway show on Wonder of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean will tell you it's because their ability to produce in-house shows is at a level that rivals shows you'd find in Las Vegas or New York, and it allows them to craft a production that matches up well for cruise ship audiences.
To their credit, there's truth in what they're saying. Whether it's Voices, Effectors, or a host of other recent shows you may have seen on ships, Royal Caribbean Productions have evolved quite a bit from just musical medleys that we saw years ago.
Royal Caribbean won't say, however, cost is probably another reason.
Any Broadway show you want to have on a cruise ship costs money, and you have to remember Wonder was being built and launched during the pandemic and following more than two years of billion dollar losses.
I could be totally wrong, but it's my opinion that developing an in-house show would cost them less than purchasing the rights to a Broadway show.
So given how far the cruise line has come with its own stuff and the financial situation they're in, it makes sense.
Are they offering the all access tour?
Yes, the All Access Ship Tour is available to book.
I took the behind the scenes tour on Mariner of the Seas, and it's an intriguing add-on for anyone that's wanted to see a cruise ship's bridge, controls, galley or more.
With that many people on board, does it feel incredibly overwhelming?
This is my third time on Wonder of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas feels incredibly manageable.
The Oasis Class ships are designed to distribute guests easily throughout the ship and it really does work once you get onboard the ship.
After the hustle and bustle of the first day, things settle down considerably and it's easy to forget the capacity of the ship because of how many things there are to do, which draws people in many directions.
How is the location/setup of Windjammer compared to other Oasis Class ships?
Royal Caribbean built its largest Windjammer on Wonder of the Seas, and it's a welcome change.
On other Oasis Class ships, the Windjammer wasn't as large because there were so many other venues available to draw passengers away.
However, on Wonder, Royal Caribbean recognized its guests like having the Windjammer as a primary option and greatly expanded its footprint as a result.
Like other Oasis Class ships, the Windjammer is on a high deck. But the layout means much more seating and lots of cooking stations.
How is the embarkation in Port Canaveral?
Embarkation is super easy in Port Canaveral.
Just like Royal Caribbean's other new generation of cruise terminals, the process of embarkation and disembarkation is so much easier than how it is has traditionally worked.
The key to making embarkation very easy is to complete all the pre-cruise check-in information in the Royal Caribbean app prior to the first day.
If you enter all the information in the app before the cruise begins, you will never stop walking through the terminal.
Is there still a non smoking room “Golden Room” up and running in the casino?
Yes, there are many slot machines to choose from, along with a couple of table games.
The other interesting aspect of the Golden Room is that it's non-smoking.
What food is included on Wonder of the Seas and what is not included?
Here's a list of the restaurants included with your cruise fare on Wonder of the Seas:
- Main dining room
- Sorrento's
- Windjammer Marketplace
- Cafe Promenade
- Boardwalk Doghouse
- Park Cafe
- El Loco Fresh and Cantina Fresca
And here are the restaurants that cost extra:
- Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
- Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
- Chops Grille
- Hooked Seafood
- The Lime & Coconut
- Izumi
- Wonderland
- 150 Central Park
- Johnny Rockets
- Starbucks
- Sugar Beach
I would love to see information about the unique things on Wonder compared to her sister ships
Wonder of the Seas is the fifth Oasis Class cruise ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, but she has several key differences.
While she shares many of the same restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues as other Oasis Class ships, significant enhancements were made to her design and layout.
You can view all the differences between Wonder and the other Oasis Class ships.
I would love a picture of the Central Park balconies directly above the Trellis Bar
Voila!
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