Matt Roberts

My Kind of Cruise

The Biggest Cruise Ship in the World

At the end of January 2022, something huge happened in Marseille, France. Literally huge... I mean MASSIVE. Royal Caribbean got their hands on the World's Largest Cruise Ship.

We're not sure they handed over the keys, but in a traditional flag changing ceremony, the American cruise line took delivery of the Wonder of the Seas from the ship yard. And this is a BIG ship. The Biggest Cruise Ship in the World.

It was exciting for the cruise line, but it's even more exciting for us, the cruise ship aficionados, the people who want to get onboard and try out all of the amazing features, and the just plain curious people - after all, who doesn't want to know just how big the biggest ship in the world is, right?

So let's take a look at some of the figures: At 236, 857 gross tonnes, 362 metres (1.188 ft) long and 64 metres (210 ft) wide, this huge temple to the ultimate cruise holiday also has 18 decks and 24 elevators to help you find your way around!

To give you an idea of how this compares, the biggest Aircraft Carrier in the world is the Nimitz Class, at 333 metres (1,092 ft) long and 106,300 tonnes, while the Evergreen Ever Given container ship that blocked up the Suez Canal and cancelled world trade in March 2021, is around 220,000 tonnes and 300 metres (980 ft) long.

So all in all, the Wonder of the Seas is BIG!

Wonder of the Seas will sail to incredible destinations at 22 knots (25.3 mph), carrying up to 6,988 guests and 2,300 international crew across the oceans of the world. Powering this massive ship are 4 bow thrusters, each with an enormous 4,700 Horse Power at their command! That would be about the power of 33 Ford Fiestas in each thruster!

So now we know Wonder of the Seas is the biggest of the big, but what can you do on a ship that's bigger than an aircraft carrier? Let's take a look around and find out...

Highlights include the Ultimate Abyss- the fastest way to get down 10 decks in the blink of an eye on the tallest slide at sea - in the dark! Or how about the Flowrider - a boogie boarding, wave riding, 'surf's up' simulator that pumps 100,000 litres of water your way as you balance on your board and try to impress your watching friends!

The ship is split into eight different zones, or neighbourhoods, with some of the coolest being the Boardwalk, with it's very own Carousel merry go round, bars, hotdog stands and an amazing Aqua Theatre, where acrobatic divers perform stunts off the high diving boards every night in front of an amazed audience, Central Park (more on this later), and of course the amazing Splashaway Bay Aqua Park Zone, with colourful water slides, cannons and drenching tip buckets... plus the Cyclone water ride and Perfect Storm Waterslide trio!

Want to keep the adrenaline flowing? There's a zip line, then the all-new Wonder Playscape℠, studded with slides, rock climbing walls, games and puzzles, where adventurers of all ages can discover an underwater world with endless possibilities! There's an ice skating rink, sports court, video arcade, virtual games and escape rooms, immersive Wonder Dunes mini golf, Adventure Ocean clubs to keep all of the family busy and if that's not enough why not pick up a couple of fitness classes in the state of the art gym, or a run around the jogging track to really raise the bar?

One of the most amazing things about this ship is that it has an actual park onboard... that's right, Central Park boasts real trees, flowers and plants, right in the middle of the ship, with its own gardeners, restaurants and cafes - you can even get a balcony room (or cabin) overlooking the park, rather than out to sea!

If you've worked up an appetite, why not enjoy one of the ten complimentary restaurants, buffets and cafes onboard, all included in your cruise fare? This evening pay a little extra with a cover charge and try out one of the ten speciality restaurants you could book, including Sushi, Seafood, Mexican, Steak house, Italian, Asian, Burger Joint, Sugar Beach and Wonderland, where your food is an adventure in itself!

Then relax in one of the more than fourteen bars and lounges onboard; let a robot pour you a drink at the Bionic Bar, travel up and down on the amazing Rising Tide Bar as you savour your favourite tipple, catch the action in a traditional Pub with a pint, or take your cocktail outside and catch a movie on the big screen!

More of an action evening needed? Hit the Karaoke lounge, watch a musical show in the theatre, have a flutter in the casino. Catch a stand up gig in the Comedy club or head to the nightclub to finish your evening in style (you hope)!

There is so much to do on this amazing ship that there is really only one way to find out about it all- and that's to book a trip for you, your partner, your family or in fact everyone you know!

Sailing from Barcelona in the Summer of 2022, you can grab yourself a place on one of the most hotly anticipated ships in the world from May this year - download our app, book with My Kind of Cruise for an amazing deal, pick up a couple of low-cost flights to Barcelona with Easyjet or Ryanair (why not have a couple of nights in a hotel and have a mini city break as well?) and you'll be sending out Instagrammable shots of yourself on the World's Biggest Ship before you know it!