Unexpected Favorites on the World's Largest Cruise Ship

As experienced cruisers living in Cobb County, we were very skeptical when we booked our trip on the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas. But it seemed to be a great choice for taking our grandsons on their first cruise, so we decided to give it a try.

We made the family drive from Cobb County, taking I-75 through Atlanta, down to Orlando, and then heading to Port Canaveral. To avoid any arrival and embarkation delays, we stayed overnight in Orlando before heading to the port the following morning.

Filled with water slides, rock climbing walls, a miniature golf course and lots of other amenities, we were certain the thrill-a-minute possibilities would keep the grandkids entertained. Plus, with two "private island" stops and two other Caribbean ports, we thought this would be a great blend of fantasy and reality for our young first-time cruisers.

Now that we're back, we couldn't be happier about our choice. But surprisingly, it wasn't just the obvious attractions that made this a great family vacation. You can read a complete account of our cruise at our blog, OurTravelCafe.com.

Here are five things we loved about sailing on Wonder of the Seas, including a few surprises:

"Free" Family Food Options. Traveling with two picky pre-pubescent eaters, we were happy that the dining outlets featured lots of familiar, family-friendly foods in addition to themed, regional and more exotic options. Burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, tacos, spaghetti and other kid favorites are available everywhere as part of the included meal programs without extra cost.

Plethora of Pools. Wonder features four outdoor pools for families. Each includes an extended "soaking" area where water loungers allow parents to sit in the cool water without joining in the active pools. Plus, there's a massive kids area for youngsters and three multi-story water slides for the brave. Then, there's a quiet adult-only pool and hot tub area where the under-18 crowd is prohibited.

Early Mornings On Board. When you're on the world's largest cruise ship, solitude is a challenge. But we loved early morning walks around this floating island, using these uncrowded times to explore and get our easy exercise. Aside from the dedicated walking track around deck five, our favorite was strolling through the ship's Central Park. As the name implies, it's a park-like setting featuring a strolling path through a park-like setting, with small restaurants on each side. Bird songs are played to complete the experience.

Specialty Restaurant Options. While we enjoyed most of our meals in the huge buffet area and main dining rooms, Wonder features a wide array of specialty dining available for a small upcharge. Whether you want bar favorites, drive-in fare, Italian, steaks, seafood, sushi, exotic menus or Southern comfort food, there's a specialty restaurant to meet your culinary cravings -- all at a reasonable upcharge.

Embarkation and Disembarkation. Sailing on a full ship with nearly 7,000 others, we dreaded the embarkation process during our drive down. We had read horror stories of long delays on other lines, and feared the worst. But, without a doubt, our embarkation and disembarkation was the easiest, most convenient and fastest of any ship we've ever sailed -- and that includes a 1,500 passenger small ship!

We'll stop at five, but we could go on (and on and on!) about the shows, private island experiences, excursion choices, favorite nooks and crannies and more. In actuality, while we booked this trip for the grandkids, we wouldn't hesitate to travel again on Wonder -- with or without the family. In fact, now that we have more "insider experience," we may look for another week-long adventure on Wonder of the Seas when kids are back in school and the floating island isn't as crowded.

For the full story of our likes, dislikes and other surprises, check out our blog post at OurTravelCafe.com