The world's biggest cruise ship is making its debut
(CNN) — It's been three years in the making, but the world's largest cruise ship is finally ready to welcome passengers.
Measuring
a staggering 1,188 feet, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas was
delivered last month and is due to begin its maiden voyage from Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, to the Caribbean on March 4.
The
18-deck cruise ship was built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard
in Saint-Nazaire, France, and has capacity for 6,988 guests and 2,300
crew members.
Innovative ship
A rendering of the Wonder of the Seas, which is the world's largest cruise ship.
Royal Caribbean
"We're
excited to introduce guests across the world to Wonder of the Seas and
its world-class features after a six-year-long process," Mark Tamis,
senior vice president of hotel operations at Royal Caribbean
International tells CNN Travel.
"From
planning to delivery, we've utilized our expertise across Royal
Caribbean, as well as incorporating our guest's suggestions and travel
partner feedback to create something truly awe-inspiring."
The
ship will begin operating five- to seven-night cruises from Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, to the Caribbean in March before launching Western
Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona and Rome in May.
Wonder of the Seas
comprises eight neighborhoods, one of which contains over 20,000 real
plants, and its on-board features include what's described as the
"tallest slide at sea," as well as a 10-deck-high zip line and a huge
poolside movie screen.
Covid disruptions
Wonder of the Seas during the start of its physical construction at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in France.
Bernard Biger/Chantiers de l'Atlantique/Royal Caribbean
"We've
always prided ourselves on offering guests the best and most innovative
ships to give them a truly extraordinary experience. Wonder encompasses
all of that," adds Tamis.
The
ship was originally scheduled for delivery in 2021, but this was pushed
back due to delays brought about by the global pandemic.
The
cruise line industry has faced constant disruption over the past two
years as a result of Covid-19. The US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention pushed cruise travel up to
the highest-risk level in late December, indicating that the risk for
Covid-19 was "very high" due to an increase in infections among cruise
passengers and crew after the emergence of the Omicron variant.
In January 2022, the health agency's Covid guidance became optional for a large number of cruise ships. This month, the CDC lowered the risk level
from Level 4 to Level 3, which means that its advice is now that people
should be fully up to date with their Covid vaccinations before
traveling.
Welcome addition
Wonder of the Seas features eight on board neighborhoods spread over 18 decks.
Royal Caribbean
The rules under the CDC's conditional sailing order, which ended on January 15,
required 95% of both passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated to sail
in most circumstances, while some cruise lines required vaccination for
all passengers and crew.
Royal Caribbean paused operations on some of its ships, including Symphony of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas, in January due to "Covid-related circumstances around the world."
The cruise line currently requires all guests
aged 12 and over to be fully vaccinated, while those aged over two must
submit a negative Covid-19 test before sailing. All guests aged two and
up are required to be masked in most public indoor spaces.
The
fifth and newest of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class vessels, Wonder of
the Seas is one of several brand new cruise ships that are set to hit
the waters in the coming weeks and months.
Discovery
Princess, the newest addition to the Princess Cruises fleet, was handed
over at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.
Meanwhile,
Disney Wish, the first new cruise ship Disney has built in ten years,
is due to be delivered this summer, while Silversea Cruises' new luxury
cruise ship Silver Dawn is scheduled for a spring debut.
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