Step aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, a cruise ship so big it has 8 'neighborhoods' spread across 18 decks

• I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, the second-largest cruise ship in the world.

• It can hold up to 7,000 guests and has eight "neighborhoods" full of activities and amenities.

• The ship was even bigger than I imagined. Here's a tour of the 18 decks and all the venues.

In April 2022, I took my first cruise on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas and it was bigger than I could even imagine. I felt as if I were in a small town in the middle of the ocean. At the time of my sailing, Wonder of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas took over the title in January 2024.

Step aboard the second-largest cruise ship in the world.

Wonder of the Seas, sailing since March 2022, is nearly 1,200 feet long and 210 feet wide with 18 decks. It can hold about 7,000 guests.

For $2,000, I spent seven nights in an ocean-view stateroom on deck eight. The cruise was on sale, as it was originally priced at $3,000.

During my voyage, the ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's own private island in the Bahamas.

The enormous ship had eight communal areas that Royal Caribbean calls "neighborhoods." Each neighborhood had its own activities.

To get up and down the ship's many decks, there are 24 elevators taking guests to 16 of the 18 levels. The top two decks are accessible only for suite guests.

In my experience, the elevators were packed during busy parts of the day, so I found it faster to take the stairs on either side of the elevators.

Decks seven, 10, and 11 hold only staterooms, but most decks have a combination of staterooms, restaurants, venues, and activities.

Decks two and three have boarding areas to enter and exit the ship. Deck three is the lowest deck with staterooms.

The main dining room spans levels three, four, and five.

Meals in the main dining rooms were included in the price of my ticket.

Deck four is home to Entertainment Place, a neighborhood with fun venues surrounded by framed art on display.

One of the venues, Studio B, is used for shows and activities that take up a large space, like ice skating and laser tag.

Down the hall from Studio B is the casino, where guests can gamble on a floor full of game tables and slot machines.

Entertainment Place also has a sushi restaurant, Izumi.

While most shows were free, many restaurants like Izumi cost extra.

On deck five, there's a neighborhood called Royal Promenade lined with restaurants, bars, and stores.

A venue called the Royal Theater also hosts shows on decks four and five.

One of the bars in this area is Bionic Bar, where robots make drinks.

The Royal Promenade neighborhood also has two coffee shops — Starbucks and Cafe Promenade.

The Boardwalk is an outdoor neighborhood on deck six.

The Boardwalk deck caters to families with kids with a carousel, a candy store, and rock-climbing walls.

There are two restaurants on the Boardwalk: a hot-dog stand, which is included for guests, and a Johnny Rockets, which has burgers and shakes, for an added fee.

Across from the Boardwalk restaurants is Playmakers, a sports bar.

The Boardwalk ends with the Aquatheater, where Royal Caribbean puts on outdoor movies and a water show featuring dancers, divers, and acrobats.

At night, the boardwalk lights up for the show.

On the other side of deck six is the spa and fitness-center neighborhood, Vitality at Sea.

Just past the Vitality at Sea entrance is a café before the spa area and gym, which was full of cardio and strength machines I've seen in most fitness centers.

From the fitness center, there's access to an indoor track.

Up on deck eight, there's another outdoor neighborhood, Central Park.

This deck is home to 20,000 plants, according to Royal Caribbean.

There are many spaces to chill in this neighborhood, including benches and outdoor couches. I thought it was the most relaxing area on the ship.

Central Park is home to three upscale restaurants — Chops Grille, 150 Central Park, and Giovanni's Italian. There's also Park Cafe, a casual eatery that is free for guests.

The Central Park deck has also two bars — Trelli's and Rising Tide, a moving bar that goes up and down floors five through eight.

Deck 14 is home to the Youth Zone neighborhood.

The deck is a kids' area with an escape room.

Deck 15 is the pool deck. There are three large pools that made me feel as if I were at the beach with water coming up and around the lounging chairs.

The deck also has a handful of whirlpools and small plunge pools for relaxing and a water playground called Splashaway Bay.

In the middle of the pool deck, Sprinkles has all-you-can-eat soft-serve ice cream with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and mixed flavors. It's included for guests.

Deck 15 also has the Solarium, an adults-only indoor lounge with pools, a bar, a complimentary bistro, and stunning views.

Outside the Solarium, there's a bar called Vue with more ocean views.

Windjammer, a complimentary buffet that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is on deck 15, too.

The buffet served a wide range of food options, including everything from waffles and bacon to fried chicken and tacos.

Up on deck 16, there are more lounging areas and a big screen for outdoor movies.

There are also covered casitas for lounging that guests may reserve.

Deck 16 is also where guests play games.

Up here, there's an indoor arcade as well as outdoor mini-golf, table tennis, basketball, water slides, and a stationary surf simulator.

The eighth neighborhood is the most exclusive — Suite Class Neighborhood.

Decks 17 and 18 are accessible only for guests with suites and include private pools and terraces.

The ship felt bigger than I imagined, especially since I'd never been on a cruise before.

As we left the port to start our journey, I marveled at how the ships passing by looked like toy boats in comparison.

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