Wonder of the Seas vs Valiant Lady

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. The Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady was built in 2022. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older.

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. Compared to the Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady, the Wonder of the Seas is 115% 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 Valiant Lady 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 Valiant Lady.

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
Virgin Voyages
Valiant Lady
ClassOasisLady
Gross Tonnage236,857110,000
Length1,188912
Beam/Width210125
Passenger Decks1613
Passengers (double occupancy)5,7342,700
Crew2,3001,150
Passenger to Crew Ratio2.52.3
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 Izumi, Cafe Promenade, and Hooked Seafood. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 14 options have an additional fee.

The Valiant Lady has 16 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Razzle Dazzle, The Pizza Place, and The Test Kitchen. 12 of these restaurants are complementary.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Wonder of the Seas might be a better choice. It has more than double the amount of dining options than the Valiant Lady.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Valiant Lady 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.

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Virgin Voyages
Valiant Lady
Total Dining Options2812
Complimentary Dining Options:1412
Additional Fee Dining Options:140
% of Included Options50%100%
See the optionsSee the options

Bars and Drinks

Bionic Bar on the Wonder of the Seas
Bionic Bar on the Wonder of the Seas
Virgin Voyages's The Aquatic Club Bar
Virgin Voyages's The Aquatic Club Bar

The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas has 2 more bars than the Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady. The Wonder of the Seas has 20 bars like English Pub, Solarium Bar and The Attic. On Wonder of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 18 different bars such as Red Bar, The Dock Bar and The Social Club.

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Virgin Voyages
Valiant Lady
•Bionic Bar
• Boleros
• Cantina Fresca
• Casino Bar
• English Pub
• Giovanni's Wine Bar
• Music Hall
• 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
•Casino Bar
• Draught Haus
• Grounds Club
• Gym & Tonic
• Mezcal Bar
• On The Rocks
• Red Bar
• Richard's Rooftop Bar
• Sip Lounge
• Sun Club Bar
• The Aquatic Club Bar
• The Athletic Club Bar
• The Dock Bar
• The Dock House Bar
• The Grounds Club Too
• The Loose Cannon
• The Manor
• The Social Club

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 Valiant Lady 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
The main pool on the Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady
The main pool on the Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady

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.

Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady has fewer pools than the Wonder of the Seas and more hot tubs.

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Virgin Voyages
Valiant Lady
Total Pools52
Pools - General Access32
Pools - Adults Only1
Pools - Exclusive1
Total Hot Tubs46
Hot Tubs - General Access24
Hot Tubs - Adults Only1
Hot Tubs - Exclusive12



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 Valiant Lady, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Virgin Voyages
Valiant Lady
Acrobatic Show
Adult Only Relaxation Area
Aquatheater
Arcade
Basketball
Bionic Bar
Carousel
Casino
Climbing Wall
Comedy Club
Escape Room
Fitness Center
FlowRider
Group Fitness
Ice Skating
Jogging Track
Laser Tag
Mini golf
Pool-side Movies
Private Karaoke Rooms
Salon
Shows - musical review
Spa
Splash park
Tattoo Studio
Thermal Suites
Thrill Slide
Water slides
Zip Line
Learn moreLearn more

Cruise Costs

Royal Caribbean is considered 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.

Virgin Voyages, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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 the cruise line'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 compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.

Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
Virgin Voyages
Valiant Lady
Base Daily Gratuities*
(Per Person Per Day)
$18.50Included
Tip added to drinks & services18% Included
Soda Price$3.50Included
Domestic Beer Price$8.25
See drink menus
$8.00
See drink menus
Drink Package Price$70 - $125
Learn more
No drink package available
Internet Plan$17 to $30 per device per dayBase level is Included. For "premium" speeds, it's around $10 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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