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Florida was the first host country for each of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships since the launch of the Oasis of the Seas in 2008, but was on the verge of losing to China for the fifth ship of class, Wonder of the Seas. But the cruise line has announced a few changes that will bring the ship to the Sunshine State early next year.
What will inherit the title of the world’s largest cruise ship will leave Fort Lauderdale on March 4, 2022 for two months of Caribbean travel before moving to Europe for a summer sailing season, then finally heading to China.
“The accelerating momentum in bookings and our return ships in the United States and Europe is significant. With half of our fleet sailing again, we are encouraged by what we are seeing. These regions are able to welcome a whole new innovative vessel like Wonder of the Seas, â€said Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.
The ship arrives four years after the debut of Symphony of the Seas, the current record holder for the largest cruise ship in the world. Every ship, from the 2008 Oasis to the 2009 Allure of the Seas to the 2016 Harmony to then the Symphony has been progressively heavier in gross tonnes so it has been able to carry the nickname of the world’s largest cruise ship.
Symphony weighs 228,081 gross tons, is 1,188 feet long, and has a maximum capacity of 6,680 guests with 2,200 crew members. At double capacity, however, the number of guests is 5,518 out of 2,759 cabins.
Wonder of the Seas will debut with a gross tonnage of 236,857, also 1,188 feet in length, but a maximum capacity of 6,988 guests, the highest of any Oasis-class vessel with 2,867 cabins.
Wonder of the Seas remains under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, preparing for its debut.
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