Written by DEPKES.ORG March 2023
Wonder of the Seas is not quite a city, but when full she carries 6,988 passengers and 2,300 crew — a total population three times bigger than the Kent village where I live.
You have to hand it to the cruise companies. They are the masters of reinvention. For example, this £1 billion Royal Caribbean behemoth has a ship within a ship called the Suite Neighbourhood, with, yes, 188 suites over two decks.
It also features the Ultimate Family Suite, with room for up to ten guests and its own cinema, slide, karaoke area and table tennis table. The price for this can reach around £48,000 a week.
The Suite Neighourhood concept is new for Royal Caribbean, but it is a growing trend among big cruise companies. MSC Cruises’ Yacht Club and Norwegian Cruise Line’s The Haven also offer exclusivity within their megaships.
Wonder of the Seas, at 236,857 gross tonnage, took three years to build in France and has an extra deck which means it can claim to be ‘the biggest’.