It's celebration time for the new world's biggest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas
The new giant of the cruise world, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, will finally be christened on Friday, nine months after its debut, in a gala celebration led by a "wonder mom" godmother chosen through a TikTok contest.
Pennsylvania mother and cancer survivor Marie McCrea, who was nominated by her daughter in the "wonder mom" contest, will oversee the breaking of a bottle of Champagne against the side of the vessel — the biggest cruise ship ever built — as it prepares to sail on a celebratory, two-night voyage from Florida's Port Canaveral.
The non-revenue sailing of the much-ballyhooed, 18-deck-high vessel, with Royal Caribbean executives, travel agents and other special guests on board, will mark the official start of the ship's first year-round schedule of sailings to the Caribbean.
The ship will make a single stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.
Wonder of the Seas initially debuted in March with a handful of Caribbean sailings out of Florida's Port Everglades before repositioning to the Mediterranean for the summer. However, it is only now settling into its first long-term home, Port Canaveral. It began sailing out of the Florida cruise hub on a year-round basis in mid-November.
A three-person TPG team reported live from Wonder of the Seas' maiden voyage in March, posting a long list of first-impression stories and guides to the vessel, including:
- First look at Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas: What we like, don't like and can't find on the world's largest cruise ship
- Wonder of the Seas 3 ways: Inside, balcony and suite cruise experiences compared
- Why Wonder of the Seas is awesome for families
- How I had the busiest 2 days ever on Royal Caribbean's new Wonder of the Seas cruise ship
- The Mason Jar: A review of Royal Caribbean's new Southern comfort food restaurant
- Genies, freebies and VIP status: The perks of Royal Caribbean's Royal Suite class, explained
A new record holder
Built at the giant Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, Wonder of the Seas measures 236,857 tons — about 4% bigger than the previous size leader in the cruise world, Royal Caribbean's 4-year-old Symphony of the Seas.
Like Symphony, Wonder is part of Royal Caribbean's groundbreaking, five-vessel Oasis class of ships, which began rolling out in 2009 and dominate the list of the world's largest cruise ships.
Wonder is similar to Symphony and three earlier Oasis-class vessels, with a few new twists that contributed 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.
Notably, Wonder has room for up to 6,988 passengers with every berth filled — more than any other passenger ship in history. It sails with 2,300 crew members, also a record for a passenger ship. As a result, the total number of people on Wonder could approach 9,300 at times.
Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean cruise ships and itineraries
After launching the Oasis class in 2009, Royal Caribbean added three more Oasis-class vessels in 2010, 2016 and 2018 before unveiling Wonder of the Seas in March. Each of the ships has been a little bigger than the last.
Like the earlier Oasis-class ships, Wonder offers 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 even has an indoor ice skating rink.
The TikTok contest that found a godmother
Wonder of the Seas godmother Marie McCrea was named to the role in the wake of a TikTok contest that asked for nominations for the ultimate "wonder mom," to be submitted via the platform under the #SearchforWonderMom hashtag. More than 16,000 videos were submitted, and the promotion led to 10.6 billion views of the hashtag on TikTok.
McCrea was nominated in a video submitted by her daughter, Allie, and picked by a Royal Caribbean panel that considered the top submissions. Her nomination noted how she overcame adversity with strength.
McCrea and a list of other finalists in the TikTok contest will all sail on the ship for free.
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