Yet another giant Royal Caribbean ship is switching to short cruises
It's official: Short cruises on giant ships is the flavor of the month in the cruise world.
Royal Caribbean on Wednesday announced it would reassign its massive 18-deck-high Wonder of the Seas — the world's second-biggest cruise ship — to short three- and four-night sailings out of Miami starting in August 2025.
The 2-year-old vessel, which can hold up to 7,084 passengers, currently sails seven-night voyages out of Port Canaveral in Florida.
The announcement comes just four months before the debut of Royal Caribbean's giant new Utopia of the Seas, a sister ship to Wonder of the Seas that also will sail short three- and four-night sailings, out of Port Canaveral.
Together, the two deployments will mean that two of the world's four largest and newest cruise ships will sail quickie trips out of Florida — something that is unprecedented in the history of cruising.
Traditionally, major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean have devoted their newest and biggest ships to longer seven-night sailings out of Florida — a more lucrative market — and placed older and smaller vessels on shorter runs.
Royal Caribbean's moves with Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas amount to a bold bet that placing two of its latest and greatest vessels in the short-cruise market will drive a surge of new customers.
Related: Why Royal Caribbean is about to own the market for short cruises from Florida
In an interview with TPG in advance of the Utopia of the Seas announcement, Kara Wallace, Royal Caribbean's chief marketing officer, suggested that Royal Caribbean was specifically going after the "new to cruise" market with such sailings. The term refers to people who have never cruised before.
It's a segment of vacationers that often is wary of booking a cruise longer than three or four days in case they don't love it.
Putting one of Royal Caribbean's newest and most amenity-filled ships on short cruises will let the line "make that first impression, the best impression" with first-time cruisers, she added at the time.
Other relatively new and big ships that have been deployed to short cruises of late for at least part of the year include Carnival Cruise Line's 4,126-passenger Carnival Firenze and 4,208-passenger Carnival Venezia. Both ships have joined the Carnival fleet in the past year after sailing briefly for sister line Costa Cruises.
In addition, a third Royal Caribbean ship that's roughly the same size as Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of Seas but more than a decade older, Allure of the Seas, recently switched to sailing short three- and four-night sailings out of Port Canaveral, Florida. But it'll switch back to longer sailings in 2025.
Quickie cruises to the Bahamas
The new short cruises to be operated by Wonder of the Seas out of Miami will be all-Bahamas itineraries with stops at two places: Nassau on the island of New Providence and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.
Fares for the sailings, which will kick off Aug. 25, 2025, start at $321 per person, based on double occupancy, for the three-night sailings. Four-night sailings start at $341 per person, based on double occupancy.
Both Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas are part of Royal Caribbean's enormously popular Oasis Class of ships.
Launched in 2009 with the debut of Oasis of the Seas, the Oasis Class ships have dominated the world of mega-size cruise ships since that year and still account for five of the world's six largest cruise ships. Only Royal Caribbean's recently unveiled Icon of the Seas is bigger.
Related: Our likes, dislikes about Wonder of the Seas
When the Oasis Class began rolling out, the vessels in the series were around 40% bigger than the next-biggest cruise ships. The Oasis Class ships and the new Icon of the Seas have continued to be the biggest and most amenity-laden ships in the world ever since.
Until just a few months ago, the Oasis Class ships had focused on seven-night sailings, mostly in the Caribbean but occasionally in Europe. Three of the five ships in the class that currently are sailing — Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas — continue to focus on seven-night sailings.
The fourth vessel in the series, Allure of the Seas, currently is sailing short cruises out of Port Canaveral, as noted above. It'll move to Miami in July to operate short cruises before switching back to longer sailings in Europe in April 2025.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.