When Royal Caribbean announced it was building yet another world’s largest cruise ship back in 2016, some cynics wondered about the need for a vessel so gigantic that it flirts with the mind-blowing 10,000 milestone in total passengers and crew. Then, when travel-thwarting COVID-19 surfaced during construction of the future record breaker, even more skeptics wondered if people would still want to board a high-capacity megaship, let alone cruise ever again or for the first time.

That’s some serious wonderment, and, to be fair, not entirely without merit. Poetic it is, then, that a ship named Wonder of the Seas should prove all but the most stubborn naysayers wrong. Based on a recent first-look, first-hand experience during what felt like the onset of the — dare we say? — post-pandemic stage of COVID-19, it’s evident that Royal Caribbean has a prescription for any potential pessimism, mine included.

Having cruised on the Oasis class namesake during its inaugural season in 2009-2010, and not entirely with fond memories due to such issues as the permeating odor of a supposedly state-of-the-art waste processing system and a clunky show reservation system, this usually open-minded travel writer boarded Wonder of the Seas in Fort Lauderdale a tad apprehensive. My trepidation wound up being unwarranted, however, because 13 years and four ships later, Royal Caribbean has made improvements nearly as huge as the Oasis-class ships themselves.

Record-breaking Wonder of the Seas dwarfs Freedom of the Seas while in port in the Bahamas. (Photo by David Dickstein)

With gross tonnage of 236,857, Wonder of the Seas overtakes its 5 years-older sister Symphony of the Seas as the current cruising colossus. For lovers of factoids and maritime history, that’s over five times larger than the ill-fated Titanic. Royal Caribbean’s new kid on the dock has 28 more cabins than Symphony, and being 8,700 gross tons larger and 200 feet longer, the latest can accommodate 6,988 guests. That’s almost double the capacity of Royal Caribbean’s only ship currently home-ported in California; the 20-year-old, yet recently renovated, Navigator of the Seas is sailing from San Pedro to the Mexican Riviera through at least April 2023.

The Royal Promenade serves as the main thoroughfare of Wonder of the Seas. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Capacity was purposely kept to 60 percent for Wonder’s maiden voyage, a 7-night round trip out of Port Everglades that went to Puerto Rico, Nassau and two of Royal Caribbean’s private destinations that are one-day vacations in themselves: Labadee in Haiti and Perfect Day in CocoCay in the Bahamas. Wonder heads to the Mediterranean in May for voyages embarking in Barcelona and Rome, then in November resumes its original Western Caribbean itineraries through at least April 2024.

A giant silver-plated cowboy hat is an instant iconic landmark on Wonder of the Seas. (Photo by David Dickstein)

While Wonder is the bright and shiny new object in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, the cruise line isn’t throwing out the mold just yet. A reportedly slightly larger sixth Oasis-class ship is being built in France for an expected fall 2023 delivery, but the West Coast isn’t in the plans for the yet-named ship or any Oasis-class vessel due to the Panama Canal’s inability to accommodate vessels that massive. Texas will likely be the closest an Oasis ship will ever get to the West. Allure of the Seas, the second ship in the class, will begin sailing from Galveston in November.

What Wonder has that Allure and the others don’t is an eighth “neighborhood” dedicated to the sweet suite life. For extended families, the pinnacle of the blandly named Suite Neighborhood is the anything-but-bland Ultimate Family Suite that can sleep 10. The largest such address in the fleet consists of two floors chockablock with far-out stuff. How far out? Two words: LEGO wall.

Wonder Playscape is a new outdoor fun zone for young children. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Another fleet first is the outdoor, aquatic-themed Wonder Playscape. This whimsical space bends toward younger guests with dry slides, springy rides, climbing walls, puzzles and an interactive mural of sea creatures that comes to life with light-up effects.

Not as cool is where the giant poolside movie screen and adjacent live music stage have been relocated. Where they’re moved now disturbs the garden-set tranquility of beautiful Central Park seven decks below.

Wonder-ful show premieres

The all-a cappella “Voices” is wowing first-time audiences on Wonder of the Seas. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Shows making their world premiere on Wonder include “Voices,” an entertaining and effecting 40-minute production featuring strong a cappella singing to songs not confined to a particular theme. Really, how many times can we hear single-genre tributes to classic rock, Motown, Latin, divas and disco? “Voices,” performed on multiple nights in the 1,394-seat Royal Theater, spans many music styles and artists, from Gregorian chants and barbershop to Barry Manilow and U2. While the show weaves in woke messages of “change” pertaining to poverty, pollution and inclusion, it’s done so without being preachy or alienating.

“InTENse” debuts this spring at the AquaTheater on Wonder of the Seas. (Photo by David Dickstein)

The ship’s signature AquaTheater is the first home of “inTENse,” an entrancing outdoor show that hints of Cirque du Soleil’s “O” in Las Vegas. A high-octane sample was performed on the maiden voyage, sans 55-foot-high acrobatics due to high winds, but, wow, are passengers going to be impressed when the full all-female production debuts in early spring.

Central Park on Wonder of the Seas has 40 plant species new to this favorite Oasis class “neighborhood.” (Photo by David Dickstein)

Also coming soon is a sequel to “The Effectors,” an ambitious production show in the main theater that Royal Caribbean debuted in fall 2021. “The Effectors II: Crash and Burn” continues the good-versus-evil planet-saving story that finds the dastardly Crash locked up — temporarily, we’ll learn — thanks to the super-heroic work of Pixel, representing the power of video; Reverb (sound); Lume (light); and their leader, Captain Viz (special effects). Nick Weir, Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president of entertainment, gave a date of early summer as to when audiences will first see this spectacle loaded with next-gen lasers, drones and LEDs, plus a new character, Crash’s henchwoman Burn.

Parades are a Royal Caribbean mainstay, and the one rolling through Wonder’s Promenade is “Anchors Aweigh!,” which debuted in 2018 on Symphony of the Seas. It’s not the freshest parade in the fleet, but Wonder can claim the largest cast: 96 to the other ships’ 81.

New and favorite galley grub

Among the authentic Southern dishes at the new Mason Jar is chicken and waffles at brunch. (Photo by David Dickstein)

In terms of fresh food, come one, come y’all to the Southern country-themed Mason Jar. Offering a tasty trip to Texas and the Deep South, this winning specialty restaurant serves up mild or hot fried chicken (good), beef brisket (better) and St. Louis-style pork ribs (best) at dinner with a $40 surcharge.

Calorie-worthy chocolate pecan pie makes a toothsome finale to a wonderful Southern-style dinner at The Mason Jar. (Photo by David Dickstein)

An extra $25 at brunch comes with such options as fried chicken and waffles, stuffed French toast and smoky deviled eggs. Graced by the dessert gods with a bourbon-chocolate and caramelized pecan filling and perfect buttery crust, the chocolate pecan pie offers suppertime sweet tooths sublime Southern comfort.

Singer-guitarist Bryan James and drummer Jeff Hubbard, both from California, are two-thirds of the Country Crew Trio on The Mason Jar stage. (Photo by David Dickstein)

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The Mason Jar has a honky-tonk vibe on the opposite side of the dining room where there’s a down-home bar that pours an extensive selection of American whiskeys and a stage fortunate to have the Country Crew Trio as the house band. Singer, guitarist and TikTok star Bryan James and drummer Jeff Hubbard, both from California, are joined by Colombian upright bassist Diego Gutierrez to do justice to country classics when not sprinkling some barbecue sauce or cayenne pepper on tunes less familiar in the Lone Star State or down on the Bayou.

The addition of The Vue, a cantilevered poolside watering hole, brings to 43 the number of bars, restaurants and lounges on Wonder. Returning specialty dining options include Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen for the best entrée-sized meatballs on the high seas ($23 for lunch, $55 for dinner) and the “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”-inspired Wonderland, a magical dinner experience that would make late author Lewis Carroll proud ($58).

Wonder of the Seas makes its first revenue-cruise call in Labadee, Haiti. (Photo by David Dickstein)

The highest sit-down restaurant views are found at the understatedly elegant Coastal Kitchen for suite-booked guests and Pinnacle Club members. Serving up a fusion of California- and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, this subtly marketed gem of a dining option justifies the accommodations upgrade alone. Out of the main dining room’s galley were many more hits than misses — a delightful surprise when cruise lines are cutting corners and dealing with supply chain issues.

The ship’s grand buffet is not yet self-serve due to COVID-19 restrictions, but passengers who feel inconvenienced can at least be impressed that Wonder’s Windjammer Marketplace is the largest in the fleet.