Unveiling the Wonder of the Seas: My Epic Cruise Adventure!
Forget the Titanic, Meet the Wonder!
While Phuong recently shared her Costa cruise experience, I'm thrilled to give you the lowdown on what it's like to sail on the world's largest cruise ship – the magnificent Wonder of the Seas! My husband and I just returned from this incredible adventure, and I'm still buzzing!
7 Days, 7 Nights of Pure Bliss
Honestly, I'm still feeling those dreamy, on-ship vibes! The joy feels so fresh. Let me rewind to January 2022. I was relaxing when my sister messaged with a spontaneous invite to France – including a cruise! She raved about the Wonder: the biggest, the best, a maiden voyage! We'd be part of history (move over, Titanic!). I was immediately sold. Visa? Check! Let's go!
Our journey started from Vietnam to Paris -> Marseille -> Aix-en-Provence, where we met my sister and her husband. A 5-hour drive later, we arrived at the port of Barcelona to check in. And then… BAM! The ship emerged – a stunning, colossal beauty!
Charting Our Course: A Mediterranean Dream
Our itinerary: Barcelona -> Palma de Mallorca -> Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy -> Civitavecchia, Rome's cruise port -> Naples -> Days at Sea -> Barcelona.
At each port, we had the chance to explore iconic landmarks. Booking a tour is a good option - a bus would pick you up at 8 am and return you to the ship by 5 pm. Getting to destinations can take 1-2 hours by car. The tours allow you to wonder solo for 30 minutes - but be on time. Otherwise, the ship may depart. We heard an announcement about two missing passengers. Don't get left behind! If you miss the ship, catch a train or flight to the next port. Always keep your passport and money with you.
Show Me The Money 💸💸💸
Our total expenses (we lived it up without looking at the price tags – a dangerous game!):
- Cruise fare (all-inclusive food): €3,000 (discounted 30% for booking early) – Prices vary based on cabin class
- Tours (Pisa, Amalfi, Sorrento) + unlimited restaurant package: €1,234
- Cocktails, casino, and 7-day Wi-Fi: €1,058
- Room service (€15/night * 7): €105
- Total: €5,397 for 7 nights (excluding casino losses – ouch!)
Checking In: All Aboard!
Similar to boarding a flight, we went through security, had our photos taken, and presented our PCR tests. We took a COVID test in Aix the day before, costing us €100. Also, note: leave the knock-offs at home! They will be confiscated. Vendors sold fake bags, so don't buy. Police may appear to arrest you if you buy fakes.
Once on board, we grabbed our SeaPass cards waiting outside our cabin doors. Our cabin was cozy and well-equipped, with a super chill balcony. The first order of business: watching the safety video, understanding the alarms, and checking in on Deck 4 to confirm we'd seen it. Then, adventure time!
We had a balcony cabin on Deck 14, facing the ship's bow. (My sister picked it, saying it's fancy and private, unlike lower or interior decks, which can be noisy.)
Wonder of the Seas: A Quick Tour
This ship is HUGE. Here's the scoop:
- The Wonder of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean International masterpiece (they own many amazing ships!).
- Construction began in 2019 and finished in 2022.
- It's three times the size of the Titanic, 362 meters long, 65 meters wide, and weighs 236,857 tons.
- 18 decks, including the ultra-exclusive decks 17-18 for premium guests (fancy AND expensive!)
- 2,867 rooms, holding up to 6,988 passengers.
Think of it as a floating city! Deck 16 boasts an outdoor water park with 3 water slides, 2 dry slides, a thrilling zipline, mini-golf, and a surf simulator. I couldn't get enough of the zipline and surfing! There's also indoor rock climbing. There are also gyms and yoga spas. Of course, there's even childcare available!
Evenings bring fantastic shows: concerts, hip-hop, ice skating – but the Aquashow is a must-see! Olympic athletes perform breathtaking water stunts.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served buffet-style. Dining rooms are available. Free snacks (water, juice, hot dogs, pizza, salad, pastries) are placed across the ship. My group purchased a 5-star restaurant package. We were always dressed up to go dinner. Other passengers dressed formally, too. The men wear suits and bowties. The women wore gowns, shawls, and the like. It felt like stepping into a scene from the Titanic.
There's never enough time to do everything! We bought Wi-Fi, but honestly, I wanted to unplug and enjoy real life.
A+ Service
The staff is incredible. Always helpful. I loved the cleaning service. The room was always perfect. I felt grateful for those hard-working staff members.
Most passengers were middle-aged and older. We rarely saw younger people from Vietnam. We met overseas Vietnamese from Germany and the US. They were surprised we flew from Vietnam. This type of travel is not popular in Vietnam. Hopefully, someday, we'll have deep-sea ports so that cruise ships can dock in Vietnam.
Oops, this got long! Anyway, if you're thinking about it, take the plunge!
