Wonder of the Seas Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

It’s official. Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas is now the largest cruise ship in the world. This 236K+ gross ton ship set sail earlier this month, and we were onboard this Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise. Is bigger really better? Well, we share our honest thoughts when it comes to all aspects of this new vessel in our exclusive Wonder of the Seas cruise ship scorecard review.

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Wonder of the Seas Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

Embarkation/Disembarkation

Since we were invited guests of Royal Caribbean on this sailing, we received our cruise reservation rather late. Thus, the earliest embarkation time slot available was 1:30 pm. 

We knew this first cruise would be busy, so we decided to head to the port early. Thankfully, we were allowed to begin the check-in process right away. At Terminal 18, we progressed from screening, to security, and check-in smoothly, with the entire process taking around 20 minutes. 

Then, we waited less than 10 minutes before Diamond Crown and Anchor members were called to board the ship.

The disembarkation process was even easier. Doing self-checkout, we walked off about 45 minutes after the ship had been cleared. Lugging our bags down to the Royal Promenade, we moved through ship security, border patrol, and to the share ride area in about 25 minutes.

Wonder of the Seas is a massive vessel. So, at all ports of call, both aft and forward gangways were available. The few times we departed the ship in port, the process was quick and efficient.

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Pool Deck

Even though Wonder of the Seas is the fifth Oasis-class ship, it has its own unique feel and layout. One of the areas that this is perhaps the most evident is the pool deck.

The outdoor spaces on decks 15 and 16 have been rearranged. Now, Splashaway Bay and the Beach Pool are in the forward area near the waterslides, for a more family-friendly space. The two main pools are located a bit further aft. These pools have been redesigned to maximum lounging space, complete with in-pool loungers.

This small change makes a big different in terms of traffic flow and pool deck ambience.

A new feature near these pools is the cascading sun deck and upgraded loungers. These comfy seats face aft towards the massive television screen and pools. Additionally, deck 16 is home to plenty of loungers and up-charge casitas as well, very similar to other amplified ships in the fleet.

Despite being the largest cruise ship in the world, there is plenty of outdoor space for sun worshippers on Wonder of the Seas.

Sports Deck

The Deck 16 sports deck also received a remodel. Families reading our Wonder of the Seas cruise ship review, might like these changes, while others might be disappointed.

Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the family-friendly Wonder Playscape. This large outdoor playground for younger children has slides, climbing nets, and interactive games and elements, making it a dynamic space that families can enjoy together.

Conveniently located next to the playground is the mini-golf course. This underwater themed course blends seamlessly into the play area’s colorful and nautical vibe.

However, with the addition of this Wonder Playscape comes the removal of a FlowRider. Now, Wonder of the Seas only has one surf simulator. So, boogie boarders and surfers must share the portside Flowrider.

Other staples of the Sports Deck on Oasis Class ships are present on Wonder of the Seas as well. These popular attractions include the zip line, sports court, and the Ultimate Abyss. Activities like pickleball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball were just some of competitions that occurred during our trip.

Further, active cruisers have plenty of other options beyond the sports deck. You can scale the dual rock climbing walls above the Boardwalk neighborhood, take a jog on the deck 5 outdoor running track, go ice skating in Studio B, or get in a workout at the fitness center.

Service

Even though this was the first revenue sailing on Wonder of the Seas, we are happy to report that service was personable and knowledgeable. On embarkation day, Guest Services was able to trouble shoot our app issues and get us entertainment reservations before they all booked up.

Our stateroom attendant, Albertus, was always visible and made sure to check-in with us throughout the cruise. Somehow, he was able to make up our room twice a day even though our schedule was anything but predictable on this trip.

At the bars, there were plenty of staff to take drink orders. Thus, we never waited long for a round of cocktails.

Waitstaff in the main dining room were friendly and timely. Both the waiters and assistant waiters were visible, and did a fabulous job pacing our meals. This was true when we dined just the two of us and as a group of 6.

However, our visits to the specialty restaurants were a bit hit or miss. Two of our four specialty dinners took over two hours. We credited this to the restaurants being busier than the current staff could handle. On a positive note, our meals in the Mason Jar, the newest restaurant in the Royal Caribbean fleet, were well executed even though the venue was busy.

Daily Activities

This Wonder of the Seas cruise ship review marked our 13th cruise since the restart in June 2021. Finally, it felt like cruising was truly back to just about normal. From no mask requirement, to no social distancing, the ship looked and felt like pre-pandemic times.

The same can be said about onboard activities. The Wonder of the Seas cruise ship had most of the cruiser classics, including trivia competitions, name that tune, scavenger hunts, battle of the sexes, karaoke, and dance classes.

On the pool deck, crowds gathered to watch the sexiest man competition. Then, cruisers danced the night away at the HUSH! Silent Disco and the Red Party.

This sailing marked the return of laser tag to the Royal Caribbean fleet as well. There were two sessions of this complimentary activity occurring in Studio B, along with two open skate sessions in the same venue.

The staff were even rehearsing for the upcoming return of parades to the Royal Promenade.

Really, the only two Royal Caribbean staples missing from the mix were the Love and Marriage show and the Crazy Quest.

Though, the cruise director Mike was not as visible during the day as I would have thought for this maiden voyage.

Overall, there was a reasonable mix of adult-focused and family-focused daytime events. Couple these organized events with all there is to do in the different neighborhoods, and you are probably wondering how you will fit in everything during a 7-day cruise on the ship.

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Casual Eats

One of the benefits of cruising on a mega-ship are all the choices. On Wonder of the Seas, there were were so many different dining options. From casual eateries, to the main dining room, to specialty restaurants, it was impossible to sample them all during just one week onboard the ship.

Perhaps the most well-known casual spot on Royal Caribbean ships is the Windjammer buffet. In fact, Wonder of the Seas has the largest Windjammer at sea! This venue was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving the traditional buffet fare with various snacks, entrees, and rotating selections.

The Solarium Bistro has a smaller buffet for breakfast and lunch. This Deck 15 eatery is very similar to the items in the Windjammer. At night, the Solarium Bistro turns into a complimentary sit-down restaurant. With a menu focused on Mediterranean fare, and a small appetizer bar, it is a nice alternative to the main dining room.

Other daytime casual restaurants include the Café Promenade. Open 24 hours a day, this coffee shops serves cookies, breakfast pastries, and small sandwiches all day long. Not far from this venue is the pizza parlor, Sorrento’s. This venue is open until the early morning hours, so the late-night party crowd will never go hungry.

Additionally, there are Mexican favorites at El Loco Fresh and global sausages and hot dogs at the Boardwalk Dog House. In Central Park, you can get custom salads, paninis, and the cruise line’s exclusive Royal Kummelweck sandwich at Park Café. There is even a small variety of health-conscious snacks at the Vitality Café.

All of the casual venues that we sampled, we found the food to be fresh and well prepared.

Main Dining Room

To be fair, for this Wonder of the Seas cruise ship scorecard review, we only dined at the main dining room twice for dinner. Plus, these times happened to be the formal nights. On both occasions, we found the food to be on par with our experiences dining at the MDR on other Royal Caribbean ships in the fleet.

Our group was assigned to My Time Dining. We dined around 7:30 pm on Night 2 and 6:45 pm on Night 5. With no pre-made reservations, there was still no wait to get a table regardless of our party size.

On the first visit, we dined at a table of 6. The staff was very attentive and timely. I went with the fried calamari, the duck a l’orange, and Grand Marnier soufflé. Each dish was well-plated and seasoned just right. The French-cut duck was topped with a sweet Cointreau sauce and coupled with a tangy red cabbage slaw.

During our second visit to the MDR, Heidi and I dined just the two of us. I went with Royal Caribbean’s signature Vidalia onion tart as my starter, which was hot and bursting with flavor. My beef tenderloin was tender and cooked to the ideal medium rare. However, I was a bit disappointed in the broiled lobster tail.

Besides dinner, the main dining room was also open every day for breakfast, and on days 2, 4, 5, and 6 for lunch. However, we did not get a chance to sample any of the breakfast or lunch items here.

Specialty Dining

Over 7 days, we had 7 specialty dining meals. The first night of our cruise, we dined at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen. This casual Italian restaurant features some of the best pizza at sea and some unique takes on classics, like the fried calamari. We think this specialty restaurant is well worth the up-charge.

We even grabbed a second pizza and snacks at the nearby Giovanni’s Wine Bar later in the week. This venue has a small a la carte food menu with reasonable prices.

On Night 3, we dined at the new specialty restaurant, The Mason Jar. For us, this restaurant is one of the best new concepts at sea.

This Southern-inspired comfort food restaurant on Deck 15 offered authentic homestyle cooking. From the drinks, to the food, and even the décor, we were big fans of this restaurant. In fact, we dined here again on Day 4 for brunch.

Some of our favorite dishes at The Mason Jar included the gumbo, oyster po’boy, chicken and waffles, and the cinnamon roll.

During this Wonder of the Seas cruise, we also visited the sushi restaurant, Izumi, twice. This was a first for us. While we have dined at the hibachi several times, we have never tried the sit-down version of this restaurant. The Princess was a fan of the udon noodles with chicken. For me, I mixed things up with sushi, including the Spider Rolls, the dumplings, and the shrimp and vegetable tempura.

Like other Royal Caribbean ships, the specialty restaurants offered enhanced menus and better food quality than the main dining room. For us, it was great to change things up and sample new items during our seven day cruise.

Not to mention, all of these venues are covered in the Royal Caribbean Unlimited Dining Package.

Of course, Wonder of the Seas is also home to other specialty restaurants including Chops Grille, 150 Central Park, Wonderland, and Hooked. There are a couple other more casual up-charge venues as well, Playmakers Sports Bar and Johnny Rockets, for a family-friendly night out.

Night Life

As we mentioned above, this cruise most resembled a “pre-pandemic” cruise when it came to daytime activities. As you would suspect, the nightlife had a similar vibe.

All of the popular Royal Caribbean bars and lounges were open, with no social distancing or vaccinated only designations. Wonder of the Seas offered a variety of entertainment from Latin music and dancing in Boleros, to an acoustic guitarist in the Cask and Clipper pub, and piano music in the Schooner Bar. The Country Crew Trio also played live music most nights at the Deck 15 Mason Jar Bar.

There was also karaoke, light melodies in Central Park, the band, Phoenix, playing classic rock in the Music Hall, and two DJs playing into the late night.

Not only was there live music throughout the ship, but many of the classic cruise events and activities were back as well. The Red Party took over Studio B on night 4. There was not one, but two HUSH! Silent Discos. The event was so popular that it was moved to the Solarium. There were also nightly comedy shows in the Attic featuring two different comedians.

Additionally, there were game shows like Battle of the Sexes and Majority Rules, where cruisers competed against one another. The one adult game show still missing was the Crazy Quest.

There were still no Promenade parties, like the 70’s disco or midnight balloon drop, either.

Honestly, we did not miss those events. With all of the other options, there was never an early night on Wonder of the Seas.

Signature Entertainment

No one does entertainment better than Royal Caribbean. Wonder of the Seas will eventually feature four new signature productions.

In the main theater, we were able to watch the new show, Voices. This real world meets zoom world production features a mix of pre-recorded voices and live performers. All of the sounds and “music” in the show are produced using the human voice. It was a powerful show with some of the most talented singers we have ever seen on a cruise ship. Though, the screens were a bit distracting.

The second main theater show, The Effectors 2: Crash and Burn, was not ready yet. The show is still in rehearsals and is set to debut this summer. Entertainment director Nick Weir assures us that this sequel to the popular main theater show on Odyssey of the Seas will be spectacular.

We were also able to see the complete run of the exclusive show in Studio B, Ice Spectacular 365. This show portrays the changing of the seasons with well choreographed skating numbers. It was one of the better ice shows that we have seen. So, it was a complete surprise when we later found out that most of the set pieces hadn’t even arrived at the ship yet.

Finally, the Aqua Theater’s new show is inTENse. Featuring an all-female cast of acrobats, dancers, and high divers, this show was certainly high energy. Well, at least it looked that way from our preview. Again, this show is not quite ready yet, so we were treated to a “showcase” of several acts.

Still, what we were able to experience for the signature entertainment will have us coming back for more.

Bars and Lounges

All of your favorite Royal Caribbean bars and lounges can be found on Wonder of the Seas. Plus, there were even a few new favorites for us to test out in this Wonder of the Seas cruise ship review.

Cocktail lovers will want to grab a classic martini at the Schooner Bar. This venue on Deck 6 is home to our favorite evening libations, the Sidecar and Lavender Daiquiri. Mojitos and classic Latin-inspired cocktails are shaken up at Boleros, while robotic bartenders will craft your ideal concoction at the Bionic Bar. In the Royal Promenade, you will also find the popular English pub and the Rising Tide Bar.

On the pool decks, there are three Lime and Coconut bars serving the new poolside menu with the signature Lime and Coconut drink. The Vue Bar, located Deck 15 portside, is a brand new bar on the ship. This cantilevered bar is home to some great views and a brightly colored mosaic canopy. Sadly, the one thing it’s missing is a signature drink menu.

Additionally, you can sip some vino while grabbing a bite to eat at the Giovanni’s Wine Bar in Central Park. Or, you can grab a brew and some pub favorites at Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade on the Boardwalk.

Two more bars that do have signature drink menus also debuted on Wonder of the Seas. Cantina Fresca on Deck 16 aft mixes up margaritas and Mexican favorites.

Finally, there is the Mason Jar Bar on Deck 15. With signature drinks featuring bourbon and whiskey, these cocktails are big on flavor. Whether it is the PB&J Old Fashioned or the Mississippi Moonlight, this is definitely one watering hole you need to visit during your cruise.

The best part is that all of the drinks at these venues are covered in the Royal Caribbean Drink Package.

Stateroom

We stayed in an oceanview balcony cabin on Deck 10, room 10260.

Immediately upon entering the room, the bathroom was to our left. This aft located stateroom had the bed facing forward immediately following the bathroom. Across from the bed was a larger than usual flat screen television and some newly added posts for hanging bags and other accessories.

Past the bed was the sitting area and desk located near the balcony. While the sofa seemed larger than similar furnishings in other balcony staterooms, there was no coffee table.

The closets in this Wonder of the Seas cabin were closer to the bed, similar to the Quantum Class ships. With his and hers closets on either side of the bed, this layout provides more room in the cabin and made storing all our clothing easier.

We also appreciated the outlets on both sides of the bed. There was a USB and power outlet located above each nightstand making charging devices much easier.

The balcony was just the right size too. It was a nice outdoor space for working during the day. There was enough room for the two chairs with small ottomans and a small table.

Overall, the size of this stateroom was on par with other balcony cabins with some upgraded and refined features.

Crowd Control

For this Wonder of the Seas inaugural cruise, the ship was sailing at about 73% capacity. When compared to our family cruise on Oasis of the Seas for Thanksgiving (at similar capacity), the ship didn’t feel as busy. While busier than most of our cruises since the restart, venues never felt overly crowded. This was true in the restaurants, bars, and most entertainment venues.

We had no issues getting a table in the main dining room for My Time Dining, and we were usually able to find seats at the bars and lounges.

Like pre-pandemic times, you did need to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to showtime to get good seats for the signature productions, especially at the Aqua Theater. You should also make your entertainment reservations as soon as possible to avoid missing any of these great shows.

Even on sea days, there were loungers to be found on the pool deck and sun deck just about any time of day.

We typically did not have any issues getting an elevator either, except on disembarkation morning. Still, we were met with little to no line to disembark this mega-ship. Likewise, there were never long lines or wait times for drinks at the bars or for food in the casual venues.

Specialty restaurants do book up quickly. So, be sure to make your dinner reservations pre-cruise using the online cruise planner or immediately upon boarding the ship.

With the neighborhood design, we felt that crowds were usually dispersed throughout the ship, making sailing on this world’s largest cruise ship very manageable.

Wonder of the Seas Cruise Ship Review Recap

Somehow, Royal Caribbean has found a way to improve this game-changing cruise ship design even further. As you can tell from our Wonder of the Seas cruise ship scorecard review, we love most of the new updates.

For us, the new restaurants and bars were a big hit. We especially liked the new food and drink menus at the Mason Jar. Likewise, the food at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar was fresh and delicious.

The redesigned pool deck and additional seating made the area easier to maneuver and visually stunning, while the popular Lime and Coconut bars are a big upgrade to the typical pool bars.

With all the new additions, Wonder of the Seas still delivered a classic Royal Caribbean experience when it came to dining, nightlife, and signature entertainment.

The entertainment was as we expected, amazing! We have come to expect great things from Royal Caribbean productions, and Wonder of the Seas did not disappoint. Time and time again, Royal Caribbean continues to wow us.

As the world’s largest cruise ship, Wonder of the Seas has something for everyone. Whether you want to stay active, get involved, or just relax, the ship offers a variety of public spaces, amenities, and activities for all types of travelers. The Wonder of the Seas cruise compass was jam-packed each day.

This is certainly a cruise that families, couples, and multi-generational groups can enjoy together. The only downside is that with so much to offer, it is tough to get it all done in one cruise. That is why we are already trying to plan when we can hop back onboard this Wonder of the Seas cruise ship in the near future.

Disclaimer: We were hosted guests of Royal Caribbean on this sailing; however, as always, all opinions in this post are our own.

Comments

Do you agree with our Wonder of the Seas cruise ship scorecard review? What aspects of this world’s largest cruise ship do you like (and don’t like)? Drop us an anchor below to share your thoughts on Royal Caribbean’s newest vessel.