Royal Caribbean Floats Out World’s Largest Cruise Ship Wonder of the Seas

Some good news for the cruise industry, as Royal Caribbean has officially floated out its brand new ship, Wonder of the Seas.

The new ship, set to be the largest cruise ship in the world, is now in the water at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint Nazaire, France.

The ship was floated out during the morning of 5 September, with tug boats used to complete the 1,500-foot journey as the ship’s engines are yet to be fitted.

Wonder of the Seas is the cruise giant’s newest Oasis-class ship, with capacity for over 5,000 passengers. The ship was originally confirmed to enter service in 2021, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent delays, has now been pushed back to 2022.

When she finally enters service, Wonder of the Seas will operate in the Chinese market, homeported in Shanghai and running sailings around Asia.

Following on from the float out, Wonder of the Seas will now undergo an extensive fitting-out process, where her interior spaces will be built, furnished and finished.

As the largest cruise ship in the world, the vessel will carry around 5,500 passengers and have 17 decks.

The ship itself will have seven of Royal Caribbean’s signature ‘neighbourhoods’, the Royal Promenade, Central Park, Boardwalk, Entertainment Zone, Sports Zone, Youth Center and Wellness Complex.

Wonder of the Seas, along with Symphony of the Seas, has a gross tonnage of 228,100 tons, boasting 28 more staterooms than its sister ships, a redesigned boardwalk area and a new two-level RCI ‘Family Suite’.

In other Royal Caribbean news, the cruise line was forced to suspend the launch of Odyssey of the Seas, which was due to set sail in November 2020.

Odyssey of the Seas, the cruise line’s brand new 4,198-passenger ship, was set to sail its maiden voyage from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas and Caribbean in November, but the sailing has now been pushed back until April 2021.