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Step Aboard the World’s Largest Cruise Ship, Which Is So Big it Has 8 ‘Neighborhoods’ Spread Across 18 Decks

This story originally appeared on Business Insider.

In April 2022, I took my first cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas — the largest cruise ship in the world. I felt as if I were in a small town in the middle of the ocean.

The author on the largest cruise ship in the world

The author onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Royal Caribbean reports that Wonder of the Seas, sailing since March 2022, is nearly 1,200 feet long and 210 feet wide with 18 decks. It can hold about 7,000 guests.

wonder of the seas ship docked on a cloudy day

Wonder of the Seas in Costa Playa, Mexico. Joey Hadden/Insider

For $2,000, I spent seven nights in an ocean-view stateroom on deck eight. The cruise was on sale, as it was originally priced for $3,000.

the author in a stateroom in the worlds largest cruise ship

The author in her stateroom. Joey Hadden/Insider

During my voyage, the ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; as well as Royal Caribbean’s own private island in the Bahamas.

The largest cruise ship in the world, wonder of the seas, is seen docked in Roatan Honduras

Wonder of the Seas docked in Roatán, Honduras. Joey Hadden/Insider

But a lot of the fun took place on the enormous ship with eight communal areas that Royal Caribbean calls “neighborhoods.” Each neighborhood had its own activities.

People enjoy the top decks of the world's largest cruise ship

The main pool deck on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

To get up and down the ship’s many decks, there are 24 elevators taking guests to 16 of the 18 levels. The top two decks are accessible only for suite guests.

Looking down from the elevators on the world's largest cruise ship

A view of the elevators looking down from the 16th floor. Joey Hadden/Insider

In my experience, the elevators were packed during busy parts of the day, so I found it faster to take the stairs on either side of the elevators.

stairs between decks on the world's largest cruise ship

Staircases on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Decks seven, 10, and 11 hold only staterooms, but most decks have a combination of staterooms, restaurants, venues, and activities.

State room hallway on the world's largest cruise ship

A hallway of staterooms on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Decks two and three have boarding areas to enter and exit the ship. Deck three is the lowest deck with staterooms.

Deck 2 from the outside (L) and deck 3 from the inside (R) on the world's largest cruise ship

Decks two, left, and three onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

The main dining room spans levels three, four, and five.

Entrance to the main dining room on deck 3 of the world's largest cruise ship

The main dining room onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Deck four is home to Entertainment Place, a neighborhood with fun venues surrounded by framed art on display.

Deck 4 on the world's largest cruise ship

The entrance to Studio B on deck four. Joey Hadden/Insider

One of the venues, Studio B, is used for shows and activities that take up a large space, like ice skating and laser tag.

ice skating show on the world's largest cruise ship

An ice-skating show inside Studio B. Joey Hadden/Insider

Down the hall from Studio B is the casino, where guests can gamble on a floor full of game tables and slot machines.

Deck 4 on the world's largest cruise ship

The casino onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Entertainment Place also has a sushi restaurant, Izumi. At this point, you may be wondering whether food and entertainment were included — while most shows were free, many restaurants like Izumi cost extra.

Deck 4 on the world's largest cruise ship

Izumi onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

The Attic is another venue on deck four that has a bar and hosts comedy shows.

Deck 4 on the world's largest cruise ship

The Attic on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Royal Theater also hosts shows on decks four and five.

deck 5 on the world's largest cruise ship

The entrance to the Royal Theater. Joey Hadden/Insider

On deck five, there’s a neighborhood called Royal Promenade lined with restaurants, bars, and stores.

deck 5 on the world's largest cruise ship

A view of Royal Promenade onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

One of the bars in this area is Bionic Bar, where robots make drinks.

bionic bar on the world's largest cruise ship

The Bionic Bar onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

There are two more bars in Royal Promenade — Cask and Clipper, and Boleros — as well as a karaoke venue.

Bars on deck 5 of the world's largest cruise ship

Cask and Clipper, top left; Spotlight Karaoke, top right; and Boleros. Joey Hadden/Insider

The Royal Promenade neighborhood also has two coffee shops — Starbucks and Cafe Promenade.

coffee shops on deck 5 of the world's largest cruise ship

Starbucks and Cafe Promenade. Joey Hadden/Insider

Guests can grab pizza, which is included in the cruise fare, from Sorrento’s in Royal Promenade.

deck 5 on the world's largest cruise ship

Sorrento’s on the Royal Promenade. Joey Hadden/Insider

Upstairs on deck six is Schooner Bar and a studio for taking portraits.

deck 5 on the world's largest cruise ship

Decks five and six onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Next to Schooner Bar is an entrance to the Boardwalk, which is an outdoor neighborhood on deck six.

Deck 6 on the world's largest cruise ship

The entrance to the Boardwalk. Joey Hadden/Insider

The Boardwalk deck caters to families with kids with a carousel …

Deck 6 on the world's largest cruise ship

The carousel on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

… and a candy store.

Deck 6 on the world's largest cruise ship

The candy store on deck six. Joey Hadden/Insider

There are also two rock-climbing walls.

Deck 6 on the world's largest cruise ship

One of the rock-climbing walls onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

There are two restaurants on the Boardwalk: a hot-dog stand, which is included for guests, and a Johnny Rockets, which has burgers and shakes, for an added fee.

restaurants on the boarddwalk of the world's largest cruise ship

Restaurants on the Boardwalk. Joey Hadden/Insider

Across from the Boardwalk restaurants is Playmakers, a sports bar.

Deck 6 on the world's largest cruise ship

Playmakers on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

The Boardwalk ends with the Aquatheater, where Royal Caribbean puts on outdoor movies and a water show featuring dancers, divers, and acrobats.

Deck 6 on the world's largest cruise ship

The Aquatheater onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Like all of the outdoor decks, the Boardwalk is illuminated at night.

Deck 6 on the world's largest cruise ship

The Boardwalk at night. Joey Hadden/Insider

A waterslide from deck 16 ends right in front of the Aquatheater on deck six.

Deck 6 on the world's largest cruise ship

A waterslide exit on deck six. Joey Hadden/Insider

On the other side of deck six is the spa and fitness-center neighborhood, Vitality at Sea.

Spa and Fitness center on deck 6 of the worlds largest cruise ship

Vitality at Sea onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Just past the Vitality at Sea entrance is a cafe before the spa area and gym.

Spa and Fitness center on deck 6 of the worlds largest cruise ship

Vitality Cafe onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

The gym felt huge. It was full of the cardio and strength machines I’ve seen in most fitness centers.

Fitness center on deck 6 of the worlds largest cruise ship

People work out on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

From the fitness center, there’s access to an indoor track.

Fitness center on deck 6 of the worlds largest cruise ship

A running track, accessible from the fitness center. Joey Hadden/Insider

Up on deck eight, there’s another outdoor neighborhood, Central Park.

Deck 8 on the largest cruise ship in the world

The entrance to Central Park. Joey Hadden/Insider

This deck is home to 20,000 plants, according to Royal Caribbean, and I thought it was the most relaxing area on the ship.

central park in wonder of the seas cruise ship

Central Park onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

There are many spaces to chill in this neighborhood, including benches and outdoor couches.

Deck 8 on the largest cruise ship in the world

Lounging areas onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

At night, the cozy Central Park area also serves as a music venue.

Deck 8 on the largest cruise ship in the world

Musicians performing in Central Park. Joey Hadden/Insider

Central Park is home to three upscale restaurants — Chops Grille, 150 Central Park, and Giovanni’s Italian. There’s also Park Cafe, a casual eatery that is free for guests.

restaurants on deck 8 of the largest cruise ship in the world

Upscale restaurants in Central Park. Joey Hadden/Insider

The Central Park deck has two bars — Trelli’s and Rising Tide, a moving bar that goes up and down floors five through eight.

bars on deck 8 of the largest cruise ship in the world

Bars in Central Park. Joey Hadden/Insider

On the other end of deck eight, there’s the Music Hall, a venue that spans up to deck nine.

music hall on decks 8 and 9 of the world's largest cruise ship

The Music Hall onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

And on deck 12, there is a restaurant called Wonderland that’s inspired by “Alice in Wonderland.”

Wonderland dining room on the world's largest cruise ship

The dining room of the Wonderland restaurant. Joey Hadden/Insider

Deck 14 is home to the Youth Zone neighborhood, which has a kids’ area with an escape room.

Deck 14 on the world's largest cruise ship

The Youth Zone onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Decks 15 and 16 are known as the Pool and Sports Zone neighborhood. These decks are mostly outside.

world's largest cruise ship wonder of the seas

A wide view of half of the pool deck. Joey Hadden/Insider

Deck 15 is the pool deck. There are three large pools that made me feel as if I were at the beach with water coming up and around the lounging chairs.

Deck 15 on the world's largest cruise ship

One of the pools on deck 15. Joey Hadden/Insider

The deck also has a handful of whirlpools and small plunge pools for relaxing.

Deck 16 on the world's largest cruise ship

A plunge pool overlooking a larger pool. Joey Hadden/Insider

Deck 15 also has a water playground called Splashaway Bay.

Splashaway Bay on the world's largest cruise ship

Splashaway Bay onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Surrounding each pool are rows of lounge chairs, both in and out of the shade.

Deck 15 on the world's largest cruise ship

Lounging chairs on deck 15. Joey Hadden/Insider

In the middle of the pool deck, Sprinkles has all-you-can-eat soft-serve ice cream with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and mixed flavors. It’s included for guests.

Sprinkles on deck 15 of the world largest cruise ship

Sprinkles onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Deck 15 also has the Solarium, an adults-only indoor lounge with pools, a bar, a complimentary bistro, and stunning views.

The Solarium onboard Wonder of the Seas.

The Solarium onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Outside the Solarium, there’s a bar called Vue with more ocean views.

Vue Bar on deck 15 of the world's largest cruise ship

The Vue onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Windjammer, a complimentary buffet that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is on deck 15, too.

windjammer buffet on wonder of the seaas.

Windjammer onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Upstairs, deck 16 has a seafood restaurant called Hooked, and another included buffet called El Loco Fresh.

Deck 16 on the world's largest cruise ship

El Loco Fresh on deck 16. Joey Hadden/Insider

The Lime & the Coconut is another bar that spans decks 15 and 16.

lime and coconut bar

The Lime & the Coconut onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Up here, there are more lounging areas and a big screen for outdoor movies.

Deck 16 on the world's largest cruise ship

Deck 16 of Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

There are also covered casitas for lounging that guests may reserve.

Deck 16 on the world's largest cruise ship

Casitas onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Deck 16 is where guests play games, including the arcade and sporting areas.

arcade on deck 16 of the world's largest cruise ship

The arcade on Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

There are places to play table tennis on this level, too.

Deck 16 on the world's largest cruise ship

Table-tennis courts onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

There’s even a basketball court.

basketball court on wonder of the seas

A basketball court onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Plus, a whole mini-golf setup.

Deck 16 on the world's largest cruise ship

A mini-golf course onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

Guests can also practice riding waves on the deck 16 surfing simulator, Flow Rider.

Deck 16 on the world's largest cruise ship

Flow Rider onboard Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

At the back of deck 16 is Wipeout Bar, and the entrance to the Ultimate Abyss, which is the “largest slide at sea,” according to Royal Caribbean that slides down 10 stories.

Deck 16 on the world's largest cruise ship

The back of deck 16. Joey Hadden/Insider

As previously mentioned, decks 17 and 18 are accessible only for guests with suites. This is where the eighth neighborhood, Suite Class Neighborhood, is. Fancy.

wonder of the seas top deck

The top decks of Wonder of the Seas. Joey Hadden/Insider

The largest cruise ship in the world felt bigger than I imagined, especially since I’d never been on a cruise before. As we left the port to start our journey, I marveled at how the ships passing by looked like toy boats in comparison.

largest cruise ship in the world

A view of passing ships at the port in Fort Lauderdale. Joey Hadden/Insider

And in 2024, Royal Caribbean will debut the new largest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas, which is 6% larger than Wonder of the Seas and will carry 7% more passengers, according to the Points Guy. I can’t wait to see how it compares to my cruise onboard Wonder of the Seas.

The top decks onboard Icon of the Seas (L) and a family suite with a balcony (R).

The top decks onboard Icon of the Seas (L) and a family suite with a balcony (R).

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