I worked on the world's largest cruise ship. Here are 6 reasons it's one of the coolest I've sailed on.
- I worked on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, which is the largest cruise ship in the world.
- Between the luxurious, multistory suites and realistic boardwalk, it's a pretty unique ship.
I've worked aboard cruise ships for the past seven years, sailing on smaller boats around Europe and riding large ones throughout the Caribbean.
But recently, I worked on the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas.
From the luxurious suites to the tallest slide at sea, here are seven things that made the ship so unique:
The ship is huge and even has 'neighborhoods'
Measuring almost 1,200 feet, the ship is longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, so I definitely got my daily steps in. Still, I was still able to find my way around just fine.
The ship has designated "neighborhoods" for the different attractions and activities. For example, there's a boardwalk and a section dedicated to sports, where I spent a lot of my time.
I also really loved the relaxing "suite neighborhood," which has an infinity-style pool.
I'm always impressed with ships that have a park
Honestly, no matter how many times I'm on a ship with a park, I'm still amazed. The concept of a real park at sea is mind-blowing, and this one has over 12,000 plants and trees.
Throughout the park, there's cool artwork, live music, and multiple indoor and outdoor dining options. I ate the best steak of my life at the restaurant 150 Central Park.
There's a suite on board that I dream of staying in one day
I got to take a tour of the Ultimate Family Suite, and it's by far one of the coolest and largest staterooms I've ever seen.
There's a slide you can ride from the second floor to the first, as well as a Lego wall, a jacuzzi on the balcony, and a piano-playing staircase.
There's a 'floating' bar that guests can ride
A mix between a bar and an elevator, the Rising Tide Bar is a unique experience.
It's so fun to watch guests board the bar — yes, board it — and ride three stories, from deck five's promenade to deck eight's park, or vice versa.
Sometimes it even stops to offer a better view of special events.
The ship has the tallest slide at sea, which drops 10 stories
The tallest slide at sea, the Ultimate Abyss isn't a water slide, but rather a dry-mat one. Riding down the 10-story drop was one of the most fun things I did on board.
Walking up through the giant fish head with a see-through floor was actually scarier than going down — but the ocean views from the top were pretty epic.
There were also so many sounds and lights during the ride that I felt like I was transported to another universe.
The boardwalk was super realistic
Walking through the cruise ship's boardwalk made me feel like a kid at the Jersey Shore again.
There was a carousel for guests to ride, plus places to get ice cream, hot dogs, and burgers.
Since it's near where passengers exited from the bottom of the Ultimate Abyss, it was also the best place to people watch.