The largest cruise ship in the world

Even if more and more cruise passengers favor modest-sized boats, others remain fascinated by floating cities. The company Royal Caribbean seems to have understood this well, since it has just launched the Wonder of the Seasthe largest cruise ship on the planet.

Samuel Larochelle
special cooperation

his beginnings

Built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique located in Saint-Nazaire, France, the behemoth made its maiden voyage on March 4th. the Wonder of the Seas welcomed its first passengers in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before cruising the waters of the Caribbean. On the program: stops in the Bahamas, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Honduras and Mexico. A few weeks later, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reach Spain and Italy for a Mediterranean summer, before finding the waves of Florida at Cape Canaveral.

Gargantuan dimensions

We apologize in advance for this dizzying paragraph, but the statistics of this newcomer to the cruise industry are breathtaking. Capable of reaching a speed of 22 knots, the ship weighs 235,600 tonnes, or the weight of around 34,000 African elephants! Know that the Wonder of the Seas not only impresses with its weight, but also with its 65 m wide and 362 m long. It’s not surprising that it can accommodate just over 7,000 passengers, not counting the 2,204 staff members from all over the world. Before being overwhelmed by the numbers, take note that the ship has 18 decks, 16 of which are open to the public, 24 elevators, 11 bars and lounges, as well as 21 restaurants and food kiosks. End of the statistical presentation.

Entertainment

What would you say to taking advantage of your stay at sea to zip line, impress the gallery with your sweet voice at karaoke, maintain your cardiovascular capacities by running on the jogging track, test your skills on a surf simulator, train challenge the laws of chance at the casino or indulge in a multitude of other sports? Almost anything is possible on this ship. Children will also be delighted to discover the interactive mural, multi-level water slides, climbing walls, giant puzzles and much more.

Shows

Following the logic that more is better, the creators of the ship Wonder of the Seas offer their customers nothing less than four “stages” on various materials: traditional wooden boards, ice, water and even… air. Indeed, cruise passengers will be able to attend an aerial circus show produced by an all-female cast entitled intense. For their part, high-flying divers, enthusiasts of slacklining and other acrobats perform at the AquaTheater, while superheroes, The Effectors, will try to save the planet by all means. In short, there’s something for everyone !

Greener cruising

While the cruise industry has a reputation for polluting as noisily as cans strapped to the back of newlyweds’ cars, it’s still trying to improve. the Wonder of the Seas outright hires professionals to keep an eye on behaviors that affect the onboard environment. The ship has a water purification system capable of producing 570,000 gallons per day. It is able to connect to electricity when docked. And then, for information as light as sympathetic: the ship has more than 20,000 plants on board.