Today in the Philipsburg St. Maarten Cruise Port: Wonder of the Seas
Special St. Maarten Ship Report: Wonder of the Seas, top three Cruise Ship of The World
In our frequent updates to visitors providing backgrounds of what cruise ships are in St. Maarten today, todays choice for highlighting is the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas. For those stayover visitors who like “ship spotting”, we recommend Fort Amsterdam or Great Bay Beach as great viewpoint on the cruise port giving a good impression of the sheer size of the Wonder of the Seas. Here are some fun facts about this impressive ship whilst watching.
1. Largest Cruise Ship in the World (For A While)
At its launch in 2022, Wonder of the Seas was the world’s largest cruise ship. It has a gross tonnage of 235600, and can hold 9288 visitors of which 2204 are crew members. Its size measures 362 meters in length, 64 meters wide and 18 decks high. This megaship requires 24 elevators for its guests alone, 20 restaurants, 11 bars and lounges and 2867 rooms to choose from. Wonder of the Seas held the title of largest cruise ship in the world until the Icon of the Seas took over in January 2024 with 2.4 meters and two extra decks. Also Royal Caribbean’s 2024 addition Utopia of the Seas surpassed the Wonder of the Seas in tonnage, but not in length. The Royal Caribbean vessel’s homeport is the Bahamas.
2. Initially Intended For Asian Cruises
As the ship was initially intended for Asian routes, signs were originally mandarin. This was adjusted at the point the ship was to do service in the Caribbean.
3. A Wonder Mum as Godmother
“Wonder mum” Marie McCrea became the ships godmother, opening the ship in Miami on December 9th 2022. She was nominated by her daughter. McCrea was chosen from 16000 tiktok movies putting candidates forward at the request of Royal Caribbean.
4. The First “Floating City” With 8 Neighborhoods
Wonder of the Seas was the first ship to add 8 themed “neighborhoods” to the ship, assisting passengers to find their way and preferences on board. A spectacular addition to the new Royal Caribbean ship was an ice rink, which is a unique feature in the otherwise warm Caribbean. The Central Park neighborhood boasts over 12000 plants.
5. Cruise St. Maarten to St. Thomas
St. Maarten has received many accolades as top cruise port because of its variety of cruise excursions and things to do when in port. Wonder of the Seas is often used as a vehicle for combining a cruise to St. Maarten and St. Thomas, two of the most popular cruise destinations of the Caribbean. Next to St. Thomas (Charlotte Amalie) and homebased Port Canaveral this popular St. Maarten cruise route includes Royal Caribbean’s private island Coco Cay too. It makes the Wonder of the Seas a frequent guest on the Philipsburg St. Maarten cruise port schedule. When a large ship like Wonder of the sea docks, make sure you book shore excursions in advance.
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