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I Spent $2,000 For 7 Nights In A 179-square-foot Room On One Of The World's Largest Cruise Ships. Take A Look Inside My Cabin.
The author spent seven nights on board Wonder of the Seas, one of the world's largest cruise ships.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
- I booked a stateroom on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, one of the biggest cruise ships.
- For $2,000 a week, the 179-square-foot cabin had a private bathroom, a king-size bed, and a view.
- I thought I'd feel cramped in the room, but it had everything I needed and left no space unused.
In April 2022, I cruised on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas. At the time, it was the largest cruise ship in the world, but the title has since been replaced by Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas.
During my voyage, the ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.
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. Take a look inside the 179-square-foot space.
My room was a mid-tier cabin at the front of deck eight.![]()
Wonder of the Seas in Costa Maya, Mexico.
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I booked a mid-tier room — a step above interior staterooms, which have no window. It's a category below staterooms with a balcony, and two steps below a suite.
My cabin was on the same deck as Central Park, an outdoor space with 20,000 plants.![]()
The author in Central Park on board Wonder of the Seas.
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I thought it was the most relaxing area on the ship, so I enjoyed being close by.
When I stepped inside my stateroom, I was surprised at how big it felt.![]()
Inside the author's stateroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Right away, I thought the cabin made great use of a small space.
To operate most of the electricity in the room, I had to insert my room key into a slot on the wall.![]()
Electricity in use inside the author's stateroom.
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I appreciated the energy-saving system.
On one side of the room, I had a mirror and a desk with several outlets to charge electronics with USB, American, and European ports.![]()
The desk inside the author's stateroom.
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I thought the desk was useful for eating, as well as storing daily flyers about the day's events.
Next to the desk, a set of drawers included a cabinet with a minifridge inside.![]()
Drawers and a minifridge inside the author's stateroom.
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The desk drawers were mostly empty aside from a hair dryer, which I didn't end up using.
Across from the desk, I had a couch positioned in between two closets.![]()
The couch inside the author's stateroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Inside each closet, I found a rack of hangers, shelving, and a small safe. I thought it was plenty of space for a weeklong journey
Next to the couch and desk area, a small bathroom used clever storage hacks, like placing the trash can and toilet paper under the counter.![]()
The bathroom inside the author's stateroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
In the bathroom, there were two glasses, a bar of soap, and a two-in-one hair and body wash.
At the top of the shower, a pullout clothing line was useful for drying my bathing suits.
Each night, my stateroom attendant replenished towels and brought flyers and schedules for the next day.![]()
A towel folded like a monkey inside the author's stateroom.
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Sometimes, the towels were folded creatively to look like animals.
I noticed that my king-size bed at the back of the room was actually two twin beds pushed together.![]()
A wide view of the room.
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All Royal Caribbean cabins come with this configuration, according to its website, so they may be separated for additional guests. I often woke up in the crevice.
A large flat-screen TV was mounted across from the bed with storage hooks below.![]()
A TV inside the author's stateroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Skinny nightstands on either side of the bed held lamps, charging ports, and a room phone on one side.
Because I booked an ocean-view room, I was able to look out over the front of the ship from a window above my bed.![]()
A view of the bed inside the author's stateroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The window was equipped with an electronic shade that could be opened during the day for grand views and closed when I was ready to sleep.
While I thought the room might have been a tight space for a couple with a lot of luggage or a family, it was just right for me.![]()
The author on the bed in her stateroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
And watching the sun rise over the Caribbean Sea from the comfort of my room was the best part.
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