Wonder of The Seas is coming to Europe this summer.
Up until 6 May, I was completely unfamiliar with the world of cruise ships, and they never really appealed to me. I thought they were just for older, retired people – those who had a lot of free time and life savings, and wanted to see some of the world in luxury.
Until I took my first trip on the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas. And now I can’t wait to go back on one.
When my bus pulled up to Barcelona harbour, my jaw dropped – Wonder of the Seas truly dwarfed every other boat around it. At 18 decks high, it boasts a length of 1,188 feet and can carry almost 10,000 people (I still don’t understand how it floats).
And cruises are only going to get bigger and bigger in years to come, which is something my brain truly cannot fathom.
For almost the entire trip, I forgot I was in the middle of the ocean. Sipping drinks by the pool, watching live performances, dancing at a nightclub, it truly doesn’t occur to you until you take a glimpse outside – and it’s a little shock every time.
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On my short preview of the ship, I didn’t get the entire experience of pulling into ports and checking out different countries. That would obviously have made things ten times better – but there was so much to do on the ship, I had a ball, and actually forgot about that aspect of things.
One of the best things about cruising is that most of your food and drinks are all included, except for speciality dining. But honestly, unless you’re a total foodie, what’s included is so diverse you don’t need to spend extra. If anything, there’s literally too much to choose from.
The WindJammer on Deck 4 offers an all-you-can-eat buffet with tons of different cuisines, while the fancy main dining hall ,which is spread over three floors, has a menu that changes every day so you never get bored. And as someone who eats mostly vegan, I never went hungry.
The amount of activities on board Wonder was kind of overwhelming, from zip-lining 10 stories high, to rock climbing, to having a go on surf simulator. And if you’re brave enough, there’s also the tallest slide at sea, The Ultimate Abyss, which stands 150 ft above sea level, and it’s a thrill to say the least.
In terms of entertainment, I was super excited to check out what Wonder had in store, but I had no idea it was this level. All of the performers are insanely talented. There’s an ice skating show, a broadway musical, and you’ll also find musicians and singers scattered around the decks. But the highlight for me was InTENse, an all-female aqua show which features Olympian synchronised swimmers and divers.
Entertainment manager Nick Weir said they auditioned 27,000 performers for this show, searching for the best and most bad-ass divers, swimmers, and dancers. And, in this case, the most talented and impressive ones they found all happened to be women. We love to see it.
There’s a lot of action happening at all times, so when I wanted some down time I headed for the Solarium on Deck 15 – an adults only pool area with a private bar and bistro – it also has a hot tub with glass side that faces out over the ocean. Stunning.
The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down, either. The nightlife on board was probably my favourite part – there’s tons of bars to choose from, a live music venue, a casino, a karaoke bar, and even a nightclub that starts around 1am. My nights out on Wonder were better than many nights out I’ve had in cities. Who needs sleep anyway?
And finally, I can’t praise the people who work on board Wonder enough – the staff are friendly, attentive and go above and beyond for every guest.
If you’re looking for something a little different and relaxed this year, go on a cruise.
Wonder of The Seas is set to be based in the Mediterranean for summer, travelling from Barcelona to Rome for 7-day cruises and stopping off at some of Europe’s best destinations – like Palma de Mallorca, Spain and Capri, Italy. For more information see here.
*Her was gifted a preview of Wonder Of The Seas in exchange for an honest review
