How a Voyage on One of the World’s Largest Ships Changed My Mind About Cruises

If you’d asked me just a year ago what I thought of cruises, my answer would have been a resounding “meh.”

Many misconceptions and stereotypes people who have never cruised before share were firm in my head: Cruises were crowded germ fests with subpar food — and it’s boring and stressful to be trapped at sea. The list went on and on.

Fast-forward to earlier this year when my family of five decided to go on one of the world’s largest cruise ships, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, during spring break.

Fellow parent friends who had cruised before assured me my family would have the best time ever and that we’d never look back, yet I remained doubtful.

But now that I’m on the other side of our weeklong cruise, I’m happy to report that I was proven wrong — and all of us are eager to sail again.

Considering we were cruising during spring break, our ship certainly wasn’t empty, but it never felt crowded, either.

Wonder of the Seas can hold over 6,000 passengers but is so vast — seriously, it’s hard to describe exactly how enormous this 1,188-foot-long ship is — I never felt like we were packed in.

We didn’t wait in long lines for the buffet or for anything, really. The only thing we ever waited for was elevators, which, according to frequent cruiser friends we made on board, feels par for the course for most ships.

And despite how big and populated the ship was, it was really easy to get some alone time. I liked grabbing a coffee and strolling through the ship’s tree-filled Central Park neighborhood. (Yes, Wonder of the Seas has full-on neighborhoods and trees on board.)

I struggle just sitting around and doing nothing, so I was very concerned I’d feel trapped and bored during our days at sea.

Had I known the sheer volume of shows, entertainment, and amenities available at almost all hours, I wouldn’t have worried.

Most nights, we scored reservations through the Royal Caribbean app for the nightly main show. One highlight was the high-flying acrobatics show that I still can’t believe happened on a cruise ship. Our kids, ranging in age from 5 to 12, were all entertained.

Family karaoke was a favorite activity for everyone, with kids singing their hearts out to Taylor Swift hits and classic tunes they barely knew the words to.

The cruise ship offered numerous attractions including multiple water slides, a carousel, an arcade, a mini-golf course, an ice-skating rink, an escape room, and various other activities.

As a parent who often finds dinner preparation a daunting task, the endless variety of food available on the cruise, catering to all tastes, was particularly appreciated.

During our cruise, we enjoyed our scheduled dinners at the sit-down main dining hall and also indulged in meals at special restaurants, including a hibachi place where the chef entertained us by tossing shrimp directly into our mouths and a magical eatery where my children were thrilled to have cotton candy for dinner.

We had plenty of access to food throughout the trip and especially liked being able to stop for delicious grab-and-go pizza on days when the kids had to be fed almost immediately.

No cooking, no cleaning, and no whining? Count me in.

As befitting the grand scale of this ship, Wonder of the Seas’ kids’ club was much more than just a themed room with a babysitter.

It had a craft and science lab for the bigger kids, an indoor playground for the younger crew, and even a dedicated teen lounge on the pool decks.

Each day, we’d sign all three kids into the club and enjoy a few hours of adult time having cocktails by the pool — a true vacation. My little one loved the kids’ club so much that she begged for more time there whenever we went to pick her up.

Ultimately, having so many things taken care of alleviated much of my daily mental load.

The plethora of activities and dining options meant everyone was happy — and I learned that maybe relaxing wasn’t so bad after all.

After this cruising experience, I think the bigger the ship, the better.

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