First Actual Pictures from Wonder of the Seas

After years of waiting, the largest cruise ship in the world, Wonder of the Seas, is now sailing in the Caribbean. This Oasis-class ship was initially scheduled to sail in China, but Royal Caribbean redeployed it to the Caribbean after the softening of the cruise market in Asia.

The Wonder of the Seas is an Oasis-class ship, but it has quite a few upgrades from its siblings. Over the past few months, Royal Caribbean has teased us with tantalizing renders and previews, but a render can only do so much. Now, we finally get actual photos of the ship’s unique area. So how do they measure up to the renders? Find out below.

Caribbean-themed pool area

Over the past few years, Royal Caribbean has been updating its pool areas with a more vibrant and lively Caribbean theme. The Wonder of the Seas is no different. Here you’ll find bright orange palm trees and bright yellow loungers surrounding it. 

In the distance, you can see Splash Away Bay. At the back of the deck, you’ll see the Perfect Storm water slides, complete with a bowl water slide. These attractions were notably absent when the Oasis of the Seas first sailed, and it shows how far ships have come in the past 14 years.  

Guests will also find two more pools with loungers along the side. There’s a massive LED screen between the pools to show movies and videos. Both pools have great views of this screen.

New, enclosed solarium design

The Solarium is a popular space among many Royal Caribbean guests. This area is for guests 16 and older and allows adults to find some space away from the kids. The Wonder of the Seas has an upgraded Solarium with a completely enclosed design, which guests can use in colder or rainy weather. On the other Oasis-class ships, this area is only partially enclosed. It also sports a beautiful new tiered pool design, similar to what’s seen on the Quantum-class ships. 

The Vue Bar

The Vue is a new venue debuting on the Wonder of the Seas. It’s cantilevered over the side of deck 15, offering fantastic views of the ocean. It replaces a large hot tub found on other Oasis-class ships. 

In their renders and press releases, Royal Caribbean played up how vibrant and beautiful this new venue was. They talked about how the canopy came to life at night and would make an electric atmosphere. Now we see how that translates to the real world, and it does have a really cool lighting effect at night. 

Wonder Playscape

The Wonder Playscape is a new area that is located where one of the two flow riders that are found on other Oasis-class ships (don’t worry, there’s still one on the other side of the deck). This aquatic-themed area has over 13 attractions for children, like slides, climbing walls, and games. It’s a great new addition to the ship and is sure to keep the young ones entertained. It blends seamlessly into an ocean-themed mini-golf course.

Like the rest of the ship, it comes to life at night with LED lighting. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s popular with parents trying to wear their kids out before bed. 

Enhanced suite deck

The Wonder of the Seas adds a whole new neighborhood exclusively for suites. In the renders, the area looked nice, but it was hard to gauge how impressive it would be in real life. Now we see how roomy the space is and how beautiful the private pool is. It’s also the first Suite-exclusive pool on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Mason Jar Restaurant

The Mason Jar is the newest restaurant concept by Royal Caribbean. This southern-style specialty restaurant will be open for brunch, dinner, and late-night snacks while listening to live music. Looks-wise, the new pictures aren’t overly impressive. It looks a bit like a Cracker Barrel restaurant met the Windjammer Buffet, but the food sure sounds tasting (see the menu here).

More Wonder of the Seas pictures to come

These are just some of the initial pictures. We’ll update it with more as it starts its first sailings.