The Biggest Cruise Ship Wonder Of The Seas Goes To Sea: There's The Highest Slide In The Sea To Central Park

JAKARTA - The world's largest cruise ship Wonder of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International is starting to welcome passengers for the first time, a new chapter in the world's cruise ship industry.

The bow of the 362-meter-tall Wonder of the Seas would reach the top of New York's Empire State Building if the ship were to stand vertically. The cruise ship, which can accommodate 6,988 guests and 2,300 crew, will make its maiden voyage from Florida to the Caribbean on Friday, March 4.

Weighing in at more than 237,000 gross tons, the Wonder of the Seas, built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, surpassed its sibling Symphony of the Seas 2018 by more than 8,700 gross tons, as reported by The National News February 22.

Wonder of the Seas will operate five to seven night cruises from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to the Caribbean from March to April. Then will sail to Barcelona and Rome in May for the summer.

Royal Caribbean began construction of the ship in France in 2019. The 18-deck ship arrived in Florida on February 20. This giant ship features eight different environments, including Central Park, which is filled with native plants from one end of the deck to the other.

Another deck features a slide called The Ultimate Abyss, which the company says is the tallest in the ocean.

"With half of our fleet sailing again, we are encouraged by what we see. These regions are in a position to welcome new and innovative ships like Wonder of the Seas," said Michael Bayley, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean International.

Previously, the massive cruise ship had been scheduled to sail to Dubai in 2021 as part of its first season at sea, but those plans were scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are excited to introduce guests around the world to Wonder of the Seas and its world-class features after a six-year process," Mark Tamis, senior vice president of hotel operations at Royal Caribbean International told CNN Travel.

"From planning to delivery, we've leveraged our expertise across Royal Caribbean, and combined guest suggestions and our travel partners' feedback to create something truly amazing."

"We are always proud to offer our guests the best and most innovative boats to give them a truly extraordinary experience. Magic includes all of that," added Tamis.

To note, the newest and fifth ship of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class, Wonder of the Seas is one of several new cruise ships set to go to sea in the coming weeks and months.

The Discovery Princess, the newest addition to the Princess Cruises fleet, was delivered at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. Meanwhile, the Disney Wish, the first new cruise ship Disney has built in ten years, will ship this summer. And Silversea Cruises' new luxury cruise ship, the Silver Dawn, is slated to debut spring.