Holiday’s are a time to relax, forget all your stresses of day to day life and come away feeling refreshed and reenergised. Sometimes, all the stresses of the airport, packing, transfers, flying and planning the perfect itinerary can leave us feeling rather frazzled.
Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or you’ve never been on a cruise before, there’s no denying a cruise holiday takes a lot of the stress out of things. On a cruise, you have the peace of mind that you’ll have everything at your fingertips in a safe and friendly environment.
We were lucky enough to experience Royal Caribbean’s latest ship, the Wonder of the Seas. It’s the biggest cruise ship in the world and there’s an endless world of things to do for the whole family. Whether you’re solo cruising or you’re heading on a big family holiday with the children and grandchildren, keep reading to find out what makes this the ultimate cruise holiday.
Where will I sleep?
With 2,867 staterooms, there are a variety of different rooms to stay in, from very luxurious suites, to more affordable interior room options. We stayed in a balcony suite, so we were lucky enough to have a stunning view of the ocean for the duration of our stay. There was plenty of room, and there was enough space for two, but for a larger family, it may feel a little snug. That being said, it’s unlikely you’ll spend too much time in your room with everything that there is to explore on the ship.
All the rooms are designed in a very smart way, with a slight curve at the edge of the bed to move easily around it so you won’t bang your leg on it each time, and clever storage solutions for all your luggage, as well as a safe, it’s a very well designed space. The bathroom again is quite snug, but there’s plenty of room for everyone’s toiletries.
Despite the huge number of rooms, they’re very easy to find, with clear directions. Just be prepared to do a fair bit of walking up and down the corridors during your stay - a good way to get your steps in! There is also a rail down all the corridors to give you some extra support while you’re walking. It’s these little touches throughout the whole ship that make it ideal for every cruiser, even those less able.
Like a hotel room, each room is cleaned throughly everyday, and if you’re lucky you might even get a cute shaped towel animal left on the bed. Each room is also assigned with a crew member who will be on hand for the duration of your stay to look after you. All the staff on board were extremely friendly, and there wasn’t one member of staff who didn’t greet us with a friendly hello at any point during our stay. These people, many of whom you probably won't get to see during your stay, are really the ones who make the whole experience so special.
Not only were the rooms very clean, but the entire ship was spotless. There were plenty of hand washing stations and hand sanitiser points throughout the ship. All the staff wear their face coverings all the time, and passengers can wear or remove their mask as they feel comfortable.
The bed was very comfortable, although, it did wiggle every couple of minutes at night which was slightly annoying. I’m presuming this is because we were on a boat, but it didn’t stop us from sleeping.
Although there is no iron or tea and coffee making facilities in the room, there is a full laundry service (for an extra charge) and you have the option of taking any food and drink from any of the ship’s eateries back to your room to eat. There’s also 24hr room service available, and you can get breakfast delivered to your room too - it was lovely to eat a spot of breakfast on the balcony looking out to the sea!
What is there to do?
The variety of activities on board is endless, which is why it is such a perfect holiday for the whole family. Grandparents, parents, teenagers, kids, toddlers and babies have plenty to see and do, and that’s without the number of excursions you can do during your holiday.
It was impossible to see everything during the two days we were aboard the ship, but in a nutshell, some of the highlights include:
• Aquatheatre
• Carousel
• Casino
• Flowrider - this is the surf simulator
• Running track - yes, really!
• Laser tag
• Mini golf
• Music hall
• Outdoor cinema screen
• Numerous pools
• Rock climbing walls
• Theatre
• Solarium
• Sports court
• Kareoke
• Spa and fitness centre
• Whirlpools
• Zip line
With so much to do, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, so we think it’s a good idea to plan your stay on the Royal Carribbean App. The app is essential to download and have to hand for the duration of your stay. It features a map (you'll need this), your boarding pass as well as a calendar where you can plan your itinerary.
It’s worth noting that I needed my iPhone for much of the planning of the cruise, as well as showing my Covid vaccination history (which is essential when checking onto the cruise). Although the app is fairly user friendly, you might need some help if you’re not too tech savvy.
You really can tailor your holiday to exactly what you like to do, for example, if you love a spa, there’s nothing stopping you spending the whole day relaxing in the spa (note that the spa is an extra cost however). If you’re the active type, you can have a go at mini golf, walking round the running track, and if that’s not enough, have a slide down one of the many waterslides!
There’s also plenty of less active things to do on board, such as a range of trivia quiz’s, sudoku competitions, and the chance to watch an outdoor film at movie night.
Note that during our stay, there were only 3,000 passengers on board, which may seem like a lot, but considering the capacity is 6,988, we imagine things may be a little busier during school holiday periods.
Where is there to eat?
There’s a choice of all cuisines you can think of on the ship. The majority of dining venues are included in your cruise, with a huge range of food to choose from. Most of these are served in a buffet style for lunch and served at the table for dinner, with plenty of starter, main and pudding options. The food looks amazing, the choice is excellent and there are plenty of various options for different dietary requirements. If you fancy something a little more special, we’d recommend having a fancier meal at one of the many restaurants.
You can easily find all the restaurants and dining areas on the app, where it will also tell you if it will come at an extra cost. Most of these restaurants are now menuless - a new move due to covid, but paper menus can be provided if you prefer.
How much does it cost?
It really depends where your cruise is and how long it is, and prices can vary a lot depending on where you’re cruising from and the type of room you stay in, but just as an example, for a seven night Spain and France cruise from Southampton, prices start from £799 per person. On select cruises, kids can sail for as little as £99 too!
Do we think it's worth the money? We would say it is. Most of the food and activities on board are included with your stay so you do get a lot for your money, just be sure to check what comes at an extra charge on the ship as things can get expensive. Things in the shops were noticeably more expensive than what they are at home, and the spa treatments in particular were extortionate. Before you board the ship, you'll be asked what card you want to charge any onboard expenses to. These details will then be uploaded to your room key which will act as your form of contactless payment for the duration of your stay.
Overall, we were blown away by everything aboard the Wonder of the Seas. With the choice of activities, food, excursions and rooms, there really is something for everyone. We felt very safe, welcome and secure during our stay, with all the staff still wearing face masks as well as plenty of places to wash hands and sanitise, it definitely felt Covid secure. Even when I fell ill onboard the ship, the medical centre on the ship was excellent, and the teams of doctors and nurses working there could not have been better. It gave me peace of mind that if me or a loved one ever fell ill on board, they would be taken care of just as well as they would be on land.
Wonder of the Seas is a safe and fun place for solo travellers and families to relax and explore and with so many different routes and excursions to enjoy, it’s also a brilliant chance to see the world from the seas.
Sold? Book your next holiday on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship here.