Cruise Spotlight
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Wonder of the Seas vs Brilliance of the Seas
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 20 years newer than the Brilliance of the Seas, which was built in 2002.
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 Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas, the Wonder of the Seas is 163% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas holds more than double the amount of people as the Brilliance of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Wonder of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Brilliance of the Seas.
The Wonder of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | Radiance |
| Gross Tonnage | 236,857 | 90,090 |
| Length | 1,188 | 962 |
| Beam/Width | 210 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 12 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,734 | 2,142 |
| Crew | 2,300 | 848 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 42 |
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 Izumi, Chops Grille, and Hooked Seafood. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 14 options have an additional fee.
The Brilliance of the Seas has 14 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table, and Windjammer. 8 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 6 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Wonder of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 100% more dining options than the Brilliance of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Brilliance of the Seas might be a better choice then the Wonder of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas & Brilliance of the Seas
| Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 Central Park | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Cafe Latte-tudes | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Cafe Promenade | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chops Grille | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Coastal Kitchen | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Dog House | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| El Loco Fresh | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Giovanni's Table | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Hooked Seafood | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Ice Cream Parlor | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Izumi | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Johnny Rockets | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Park Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Solarium Bistro | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Sorrento's Pizza | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Sugar Beach | ✓ | ✗ | |
| The Mason Jar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Vitality Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Windjammer | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Wonderland | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas has 9 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Boleros | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cantina Fresca | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| English Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
| Giovanni's Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jakarta Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Music Hall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| R Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rising Tide Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Schooner Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Singapore Sling's | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sky Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Solarium Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spotlight Karaoke | ✓ | ✗ |
| Starquest Nightclub | ✗ | ✓ |
| Suite Lounge* | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Attic | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Colony Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Lime & Coconut | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Mason Jar | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Vue Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Trellis Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vintages | ✗ | ✓ |
| Wipeout Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wonderland | ✓ | ✗ |
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 Brilliance of the Seas 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.
Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas has fewer pools than the Wonder of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Brilliance of the Seas. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Royal Caribbean editions with places like Studio B and Sorrento's featured.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Royal Caribbean Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Royal Caribbean Edition
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 Brilliance of the Seas, only 70% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean is a mainstream cruise line. 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 Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas.
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 understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.
| Royal Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $70 - $125 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
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.
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