The title of "Best Cruise Ship" remains subjective. You might consider the ship with the best selection of restaurants or the longest list of amenities the "best," while someone else might prize elegance, the pool deck, cabins, or something else entirely.
Royal Caribbean (RCL), Carnival Cruise Line (CCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH), constantly battle for the title of "Best Cruise Ship," or at least best cruise ship among the players battling for family passengers.
Walt Disney (DIS), of course, might have a thing or two to say about those claims, but Disney's pricing -- generally much higher than that of its three rivals for family passengers -- sort of makes it a class of its own.
In the battle among Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian, it's an endless sea of oneupmanship and innovation. Carnival has an onboard roller coaster on its latest ship. the Mardi Gras, while Royal Caribbean offers FlowRider surf simulators, simulated sky diving, laser tag, and waterslides that rival what's available on land.
It's an arms race that won't have a real winner because "best" means so many things to so many people. Royal Caribbean, however, has a new ship -- the Wonder of the Seas -- and while you can argue about whether it might be best in class, what you can't argue about is that the new ship, which has its first sailing March 4, can lay claim to being the biggest cruise ship in the world.
Image source: Royal Caribbean.
Meet Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas
Wonder of the Seas becomes the latest in Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class. Coming in at 236,857 gross tons with 18 decks and accommodations for 5,734 guests at double occupancy (nearly 7,000 at full capacity), the ship wrests the "Biggest Cruise Ship" title from its sister ship, Symphony of the Seas.
The new ship also offers up a number of firsts, including having Royal Caribbean's only suites-only neighborhood. This new area contains a pool, the Coastal Kitchen restaurant (which appears on other ships to serve only suite guests), and a dedicated sundeck area for suite passengers.
Wonder also offers a new restaurant concept, Mason Jar, which offers southern staples like biscuits and fried chicken, along with a special drinks menu, for brunch, dinner, and late-night dining. In addition, the new ship offers "Wonder Playscape, an all-new interactive outdoor play area," according to the company.
The new largest cruise ship in the world also offers a number of Oasis-class favorites including the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea; the FlowRider surf simulator; rock-climbing walls; and the Central Park neighborhood lined with more than 20,000 real plants.
“Along with taking the revolutionary Oasis Class ships to a new level of wonder, innovation and adventure, Wonder sets the stage for the spring and summer vacations families and all travelers alike are looking forward to in the new year," Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley said in a news release.
"The combination of brand-new features and favorites that span thrills, entertainment, dining and nightlife is unparalleled, and it’s what will make our latest and most innovative ship the world’s newest wonder and the ultimate vacation in the Caribbean and Europe.”
Wonder of the Seas Raises the Entertainment Bar
Royal Caribbean also competes with Carnival and Norwegian when it comes to onboard entertainment. The company offers ice skating shows and a water-based "Aqua Theater" show on some ships, while featuring Broadway musicals including "Grease" and "Mamma Mia" on others.
Wonder of the Seas will feature its own unique lineup of shows.
"Befitting of the world’s newest wonder, adventure and innovation will come to life across the cruise line’s four signature and high-tech 'stages,' air, ice, stage, and water, with four new productions: 'inTENse,' performed by the first all-woman cast in the open-air AquaTheater; '365: The Seasons on Ice' at the iconic ice skating rink, Studio B; 'The Effectors II: Crash ‘n’ Burn'; and 'Voices: An Intimate Performance on a Grand Scale' in the Royal Theater," the company said in a news release.
The ship will also offer country music in Mason Jar, live performances, and karaoke in its Music Hall venue, a "stowaway piano player popping up around the ship, a Latin band playing in Boleros as well as the cruise line's signature acoustic pub guitarist and Schooner Bar piano entertainer.
