It’s always exciting when a new cruise ship arrives for its first sailings, and the excitement is greater than ever as Fort Lauderdale welcomes the largest ship in the world – wonder of the seas – as she reaches Port Everglades for the first time on February 20, 2022.
Welcome to the house, wonder of the seas
This ship’s debut has been a long time coming, as its construction and first sailings have been repeatedly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the time has finally come, and the ship is now arriving in Fort Lauderdale, Floridawith great fanfare.
When a cruise ship first arrives home, it is customary for it to be escorted by fireboats and given special attention, such as ship’s horn salutes from other ships In the harbour.
For wonder of the seas, eager ship spotters were told about the best viewing spots near the port, including Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park at the southern end of Fort Lauderdale Beach. Customers can also see wonder of the seas‘ arrival by the Port Everglades Webcam.
wonder of the seas was not originally planned to debut in the United States, as its the first trips were planned for China in 2021. Those plans have been altered throughout the pandemic, however, as construction delays and travel restrictions have impacted cruise ship deployments around the world.
In place, wonder of the seas is spending its first few months in Florida, offering 5-7 night itineraries in the Eastern and Western Caribbean, all of which also include Royal Caribbean’s private island, CocoCay.
In May, the ship will return to Europe for the summer season, making 7-night voyages in the Western Mediterranean with passengers able to embark either in Barcelona, Spain or Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy.
After the summer season, wonder of the seas will return to the United States in November in its new home base, Port Canaveralto offer 6 and 7 night Caribbean itineraries.
The largest cruise ship in the world
The largest ship in the world, the Oasis class wonder of the seas takes this title from her sister ship, Symphony of the Seasbut just a narrow margin.
While Symphony weighs 228,081 gross tons, Wonder is slightly heavier at 236,857 gross tons. Both ships have the same double occupancy passenger capacity at 5,518 guests, but wonder of the seas is equipped with more multi-berth cabins and can accommodate up to a maximum of 6,988 guests, while Symphony of the Seas can only board a maximum of 6,680 passengers.
wonder of the seas also accommodates 100 more crew members than her sister ship, is about three feet longer than Symphonyand houses even more amazing features to bring a sense of wonder to all who navigate her, including four headlining production shows which feature exceptional casts of artists and exciting entertainment for all ages.
wonder of the seas was built in Saint-Nazaire, France, before moving to interior fit-out in Marseille. She was officially delivered to Royal Caribbean International on January 27, 2022, and at that time, Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, said:
“Wonder of the Seas will energize cruising in a bolder and bigger way. Adding this ship to our already best-in-class fleet allows the company to continue to lead the industry with new features. and innovation.
As crew members began to arrive on board wonder of the seas while still outfitted, the ship also took on additional crew in Limassol, Cyprus on January 31.
Finally, he set sail from Cadiz, Spain on February 10, 2022, for his first transatlantic crossing, which will culminate today with his arrival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Cruise Hive Wishes wonder of the seasand all who sail her, many wonderful journeys ahead!
