Biggest cruise ship ever built arrives in Florida for first sailings

It's almost go-time for the biggest cruise ship ever built.

Royal Caribbean's massive, 18-deck-high Wonder of the Seas finally arrived in Florida on Sunday in advance of its first sailings with paying passengers in March.

The ship initially will be based at Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades for sailings to the Caribbean before moving to the Mediterranean for the summer. Fares for seven-night Caribbean voyages start at $763 per person, not including taxes and fees.

The ship's first sailing with paying passengers -- a seven-night voyage to the Eastern Caribbean -- is scheduled for March 4.

TPG will be reporting live from the first sailing of Wonder of the Seas.

Biggest cruise ship ever built

Under construction at the giant Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, for nearly three years, Wonder of the Seas measures 236,857 tons -- about 4% bigger than the current size leader in the cruise world, Royal Caribbean's 4-year-old Symphony of the Seas.

Like Symphony of the Seas, Wonder is part of Royal Caribbean's groundbreaking Oasis class of ships, which began rolling out in 2009 and now dominates the list of the world's largest cruise ships.

With the arrival of Wonder of the Seas, Royal Caribbean now operates all five of the world's five biggest cruise vessels and nine of the world's 20 largest cruise vessels.

Wonder of the Seas is similar to Symphony of the Seas and three earlier Oasis-class vessels with a few new twists that contribute to its bigger size, including a dedicated suite area with a private lounge, restaurant and sun deck. Like the four earlier Oasis-class ships, it is nearly 1,200 feet long — the equivalent of more than three football fields.

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Notably, Wonder of the Seas has room for up to 6,988 passengers with every berth filled -- more than any other passenger ship in history.

Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean

It sails with 2,300 crew members, also more than any other passenger ship in history.

As a result, the total number of people on Wonder of the Seas at times could approach 9,300.

After launching the Oasis class series in 2009, Royal Caribbean added three more Oasis-class vessels in 2010, 2016 and 2018. Each of the ships has been a little bigger than the last, and they're all more than 20% larger than any other cruise vessels afloat.

Like the earlier Oasis-class ships, Wonder of the Seas will offer multiple main pool areas, a kiddie splash zone, surfing simulators, a miniature golf course, a basketball court and even a zip line. And that's just on its top deck. Inside the vessel, you'll find more lounges, bars, restaurants and shops than you can imagine, plus a huge casino, spas and theaters.

As with earlier Royal Caribbean ships, it'll even have an indoor ice-skating rink.

Related: The 7 most anticipated new cruise ships of 2022

Wonder of the Seas originally was scheduled to debut in China earlier this year as the largest cruise ship ever to sail in Asia. But Royal Caribbean canceled its inaugural season of China cruises and redirected the ship to the U.S. market in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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