The world's largest cruise ship, which has been built over a span of three years, is now ready to make its debut. The ship, a 1,188-feet behemoth owned by Royal Caribbean International, has now started to welcome passengers for its maiden voyage.
The cruise ship, called the Wonder of the Seas, was delivered to the company last month. It was previously scheduled to be delivered in 2021, but the pandemic had caused major delays in its construction.
After final preparations, Royal Caribbean announced that the ship would be ready for its first cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 4 before cruising through the Caribbean islands.
The 18-deck ship has a total capacity of nearly 7,000 guests and 2,300 crew members. It was built in Saint-Nazaire, France at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard.
Royal Caribbean said it had installed over 20,000 real plants throughout the vessel. The company also boasted about some of the unique attractions onboard the ship, including a 10-deck-high zip line, a poolside movie theater, and a slide that the company claimed is the tallest ever installed on a floating vessel.
The senior vice president of Royal Caribbean's hotel operations, Mark Tamis, said the company was excited to finally welcome guests to the world's largest cruise ship. He added that guests from around the world should enjoy the vessel's world-class amenities and features, which took the company six years to plan and complete.
Tamis said the company utilized its years of experience and expertise to bring to life the Wonder of the Seas. He said they also used suggestions and recommendations made by their guests and travel partners to customize their new cruising experience.
From March until April, the Wonder of the Seas will operate within Florida and the Caribbean in five to seven-night cruises. Royal Caribbean said the ship would then be used in cruises that will sail through the Mediterranean from Barcelona and Rome.
Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the cruise line industry has been constantly disrupted and has struggled for the previous two years. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised the risk of Covid-19 infection among cruise passengers and staff to "extremely high" in late December, citing an upsurge in cases among passengers and crew following the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The CDC's health guidelines eased for a substantial number of cruise ships in January 2022. The agency reduced the risk rating from Level 4 to Level 3 earlier this month, allowing fully-vaccinated passengers to once again go on cruises.
