Wonder of the Seas vs Utopia 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 2 years older than the Utopia of the Seas, which was built in 2024. The Utopia of the Seas is the first Oasis-class ship to run on LNG, a cleaner burning fuel.

Comparison Overview

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. The Wonder of the Seas and the Utopia of the Seas are in the same class, which means they're sister ships. For the most part, they're similar in terms of size and layout; although they may have different features and attractions on board.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as the Utopia 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 Utopia of the Seas.

Both the Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas use 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
Utopia of the Seas
ClassOasisOasis
Gross Tonnage236,857236,860
Length1,1881,188
Beam/Width210211
Passenger Decks1616
Passengers (double occupancy)5,7345,668
Crew2,3002,290
Passenger to Crew Ratio2.52.5
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)3941


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 Vitality Cafe, 150 Central Park, and Wonderland. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 14 options have an additional fee.

The Utopia of the Seas has 2 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Windjammer, Sorrento's Pizza, and The Mason Jar. 15 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 15 have an additional fee.

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

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas & Utopia of the Seas

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas
150 Central ParkLearn More
Cafe PromenadeLearn More
Chef's TableLearn More
Chops GrilleLearn More
Coastal KitchenLearn More
Dog HouseLearn More
El Loco FreshLearn More
Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine BarLearn More
Hooked SeafoodLearn More
IzumiLearn More
Izumi in the ParkLearn More
Johnny RocketsLearn More
Main Dining RoomLearn More
Park Cafe
PlaymakersLearn More
Royal Railway - Utopia StationLearn More
Solarium BistroLearn More
Sorrento's PizzaLearn More
Sprinkles
StarbucksLearn More
Sugar Beach
The Mason JarLearn More
The Spare TireLearn More
Vitality CafeLearn More
WindjammerLearn More
WonderlandLearn More

Bars and Drinks

Royal Caribbean's Cantina Fresca
Royal Caribbean's Cantina Fresca
Royal Caribbean's The Mason Jar
Royal Caribbean's The Mason Jar

The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas has 1 more bar than the Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas
Bionic Bar
Boleros
Cantina Fresca
Casino Bar
English Pub
Giovanni's Wine Bar
Music Hall
Pesky Parrot
Playmakers
Rising Tide Bar
Schooner Bar
Solarium Bar
Spotlight Karaoke
Suite Lounge*
The Attic
The Lime & Coconut
The Mason Jar
The Vue Bar
Trellis Bar
Wipeout Bar
Wonderland
* = this bar is exclusive and not open to everyone.

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 Utopia of the Seas below.



Pools and Hot Tubs

The main pool on the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas
The main pool on the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas
One of three main pools on Royal Caribbeans Utopia of the Seas
One of three main pools on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas

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.

The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Wonder of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Utopia of the Seas. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas
Total Pools55
Pools - General Access33
Pools - Adults Only11
Pools - Exclusive11
Total Hot Tubs47
Hot Tubs - General Access22
Hot Tubs - Adults Only13
Hot Tubs - Exclusive12


cruise coloring book

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. You might up paying more while on board the Wonder of the Seas. Only 78% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Utopia of the Seas, 84% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Utopia 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
Kid's Play Area
Laser Tag
Mini golf
Pool-side Movies
Shows - musical review
Spa
Splash park
Thrill Slide
Water slides
Zip Line
Learn moreLearn 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit Royal Caribbean's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.

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)
$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services18%
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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