World’s largest cruise ship, Wonder of the Seas, officially joins Royal Caribbean fleet
Wonder of the Seas, a highly anticipated cruise ship that can carry close to 7,000 passengers plus 2,300 crew, has officially joined the Royal Caribbean fleet. It’s the fifth ship in the line’s Oasis Class, and it usurps sister ship, Symphony of the Seas, for the title of world’s largest ship. At 236,857 tons, the Wonder is nearly 4% bigger than the Symphony.
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Royal Caribbean took delivery of the ship in Marseille, France, with dignitaries from the shipyard, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, in attendance for a traditional flag-changing ceremony.
Construction of the massive ship involved overcoming pandemic-related challenges.
“Taking delivery of Wonder of the Seas is the culmination of 30 months of ingenuity and partnership across more than 2,000 committed crew members and workers who are among the best at what they do,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. He called the new ship “the most innovative” in the fleet.
“Our teams have worked under difficult conditions but in a very united way to finally make major changes that enhanced the ship performance,” said Laurent Castaing, general manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “Wonder is really an outstanding new ship.”
Related: The best destinations you can visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise
Wonder of the Seas will officially debut in Fort Lauderdale on March 4, and conduct a series of seven-night Caribbean cruises before relocating to the Mediterranean in May. In Europe, the ship will sail from Barcelona and Rome. The Wonder returns to Florida in November for cruises from Port Canaveral.
Like Royal Caribbean’s other four Oasis-class ships, Wonder of the Seas is a floating city with "neighborhoods" – such as a boardwalk area with a carousel and high-diving show and the Central Park area with 20,000 real plants. The new ship adds an eighth neighborhood reserved for big-spending suite guests.
Wonder of the Seas was originally supposed to debut in Asia and sail from Shanghai. With cruise travel in China shut down due to COVID-19, Royal Caribbean changed plans and announced the switch to the Caribbean and Mediterranean earlier this year.
Related: Royal Caribbean just announced the most epic around-the-world cruise ever
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| 10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
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Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023