Wonder of the Seas vs Escape

The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas is a fairly new ship, being built in 2022. The Wonder of the Seas has quite a few upgrades from its Oasis-class siblings such as a new suite neighborhood, a fully enclosed Solarium, an outdoor bar called The Vue, and an outdoor kid's play area. It's 7 years newer than the Escape, which was built in 2015 and renovated in 2019.

Comparison Overview

• Ship Size
• Number of Passengers
• Food and Restaurants
• Bars and Drinks
• Pools and Hot Tubs
• Ship Features and Activities
• Cruise Costs
• Onboard Costs

Ship Size

The Wonder of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,188 feet long and 210 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Escape, the Wonder of the Seas is 43% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas holds 34% more passengers than the Escape based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Wonder of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Escape.

The Wonder of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

Food and Restaurants

Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.

The Wonder of the Seas has 28 different dining options like Johnny Rockets, Cafe Promenade, and 150 Central Park. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 14 options have an additional fee.

The Escape has 2 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, Garden Cafe, and District Brew House. 10 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 16 have an additional fee.

The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Escape.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Wonder of the Seas might be a better choice then the Escape. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas has 4 more bars than the Norwegian Escape. The Wonder of the Seas has 20 bars like Bionic Bar, Cantina Fresca and Spotlight Karaoke. On Wonder of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Mixx Bar, Pour House and Prime Meridian Bar.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Wonder of the Seas and the Escape below.

Pools and Hot Tubs

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas has a total of 5 pools and 4 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are adults only. 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.

Norwegian Escape has fewer pools than the Wonder of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Escape. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

Ship Features and Activities

Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Wonder of the Seas, 78% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Escape, only 60% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

Cruise Costs

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Escape.

Onboard Costs

Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.

Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.

The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.

Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.

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